Emergence
by HourGlass8
Summary: A sequel to the story Captured. The ninja had thought they had defeated the NW army, they had thought the self proclaimed superior imperials had all be tended to. However the ninja were gravely mistaken. They had not taken out the entire NW population, but merely a main city inside of a much larger state. The society run purely off technology has emerged again, only now prepared.
1. Emergence of the defeated army

Authors note- this is a sequel to Captured, if you haven't read it I suggest you do, but if you really don't want to then ignore the few details which may confuse you and enjoy the story! Here is a small recap and extended summary of this story and Captured. The NW's (New World Order) are a militant group who have forgotten about ninjutsu. They run solely on technology, and have already enslaved the ninja before by stripping them of and restricting their chakara. They view ninja as primitive beings, who are still barbaric and medieval in their views. The NW's treat them more as animals than human beings, and they would have remained that way had the ninja not risen up and fought back. Orochimaru and Kakashi were the main reasons the NW's were stopped, however, on one fateful day the NW's were spotted once more.

It turned out that the ninja had not stopped all the NW, but merely one city. The villages, Cloud, Sand, Leaf, Mist and Stone were all relatively close by, they were in the south of the world. They did not realize the north held many more threats. But having technology meant living became easier, the NW society grew faster than the ninja. They had better health facilities, and they surpassed their areas carrying capacity. When the population became to high the NWs were forced to branch out. Leading to the meeting of ninja and NW's. One of their main cities was destroyed by the ninja, and after proper preparations, the NWs have returned to recapture the shinobi. Enjoy ~

 _"_ _Today I am someone different. Today I have finally become who I really am."_

Orochimaru felt something hard whack his head giving him a minor headache. He breathed out and turned over in his bed to gain distance from the source of pain. His efforts earned him another whack, followed swiftly by two more until finally he felt four heavy feet trampling him. He sat up in his bed and glared at the dog which had been bounding around on the bed in excitement. His golden eyes moved to the small clock beside his bed and he sighed out.

"Kakashi, he is hungry." Orochimaru stated, brushing black hair out of his still tired eyes.

Kakashi made a half hearted effort at replying, but it was still dark outside, and he hardly felt like getting up to feed the hound. He was a much heavier sleeper than his lover anyhow, the serpent woke up if the branches outside so much as lightly touched one another. Orochimaru breathed out irritably, the dogs were Kakashi's. He had chosen to keep his summonings in the house with him. The whole pack of them, from Pukkun to the large mastiff. Orochimaru was about to complain about the hounds when he realized it had been his idea to allow them in the house at all.

Kakashi had warned him of their disturbances, but the natural maternal instinct had pleaded the Sannin fight for the cute looking animals. He regretted it. The dogs were loud, and even though they were more than capable of producing human speech they persisted on barking and whining. Orochimaru dragged himself out of his lovers arms and free from the warm sheets of their bed. He walked across the floor till he reached their bedroom door. Dogs from all over the room leapt to their feet at the sound of the click of the door handle. They half ran the snake summoner over, if it hadn't been for his reflexes he would have been trampled. He swiped at his blurry vision and he navigated the dark halls. It was no earlier than three in the morning. Why the summoned dogs decided they needed food at such a time was beyond the snake Sannin, but they had refused to eat supper that night and finally starvation kicked in. Orochimaru noted that next time he would stuff their dinner down their throats.

The Sannin entered the kitchen followed by many hungry eyes pinned to his slim figure. He dished up food in his half asleep state and placed each bowl on the ground for the canines. They all seemed eager and plunged into their bowls. All except the smallest member.

"I didn't want food." Pukkun stated. Orochimaru looked at the food which would now go to waste.

"Then let someone else have it." Orochimaru said disinterestedly.

"They can't have two portions they'll pick up weight. Which means you'll be taking them on extra walks to lose that weight." Pukkun warned.

"Off one extra meal?" Orochimaru chastised, " you know what fine."

He hastily picked up the bowl and tossed its contents into a container before heading back to his and Kakashi's room. He happily claimed his space in the warm sheets and felt the copy ninja wrap a strong arm around his waist. Orochimaru looked back at his lover and pecked him on the forehead. He chuckled to himself. Even at night Kakashi covered his mouth with a mask. Such a private man he was.

The copy ninja refused to let anyone see his real identity beneath the material, well almost everyone. Orochimaru had seen beneath his mask many times. As he lay in his partners arms he brushed white hair away from his sleeping lovers eyes. He ruffled the messy hair in attempts to rid it of some of its knots. From a bad habit of moving bases the serpent found it hard to sleep once he had awoken. In the past sleeping was always in short bursts, so trying to allow his body to realize it was okay to ease up proved difficult. He ended up fussing with the copy ninjas hair to occupy himself in the darkness until a strong but gentle hand guided his slim fingers away. Kakash moved his lovers hand back down and opened a sleepy eye.

"Will you go to sleep." He said tiredly.

"Your dogs did this." Orochimaru said.

"It's three in the morning." Kakashi reiterated.

"Tell your-" a loud bark broke the Sannins voice off and all the large hounds lunged onto the bed half stepping on the two humans. Kakashi pulled Orochimaru toward him and shielded his fragile form from the many paws. The serpent chuckled under the larger mans protection as Kakashi winced from the claws accidentally hitting him.

"Will you guys knock it off." Kakashi said, but his voice was calm as always and they hardly listened. The doorbell wrung and the two lovers rolled over to look at the door. It was hardly the hour for visitors, even considering their odd choice in friends.

"I'll get it." Kakashi stated. He climbed out of bed leaving behind many eyes. The hounds bunched around the serpent who watched the other man leave. They all leant on and sat down by the Sannin, almost in a protective manner as the copy ninja exited. Kakashi trotted down the hall and stepped over a large constrictor on his way down. He glanced at the python and it hissed what he hoped was a greeting. He internally sighed, between his dog summonings and the Sannins snake summonings they were running half a zoo. Orochimaru had learnt each individual dogs name and personality, their dislikes and likes. However Kakashi struggled to identify any of his lovers pets. They all looked similar to him, he couldn't tell male from female. All except one, Auria, the one which always struck at him, he knew that one even in the dark.

Kakashi reached the door and pulled it open , he was met by worried eyes the Jounins hand inches from ringing the bell a fourth time.

"Kakashi-sama. Thank god you're home." The man said.

"Where else would I be at three in the morning." Kakashi stated, slightly jabbing at the mans choice of timing.

"There have been sightings." The man said.

"Sightings?" Kakashi questioned.

"They're back." The man said his eyes fear stricken. Kakashi looked at the man in confusion. He couldn't figure out who _they_ were. He couldn't understand the mans fears, until he heard the bang.

"Kakashi!" Orochimaru yelled from inside, he came rushing out the house still dressed in his light purple gown. His black hair swished with his movement, his white skin captivating in the night almost as brightly as his eyes. He rested a hand on his lovers chest as he confronted the man.

"Are they NW's?" Orochimaru asked, Kakashi realized the panic and looked back down at the other man.

"They wear new armor, new suits... But they have been marked with the same letters yes." The Jounin stuttered, "elites have been asked to meet at the Hokage building."

"We will be there shortly, where were they sighted?" Kakashi asked, the dogs came barreling through the door. They sniffed the air and started growling and panting in anxious anticipation.

"They aren't far." The Jounin said.

"Are they purposefully heading towards us?" Orochimaru asked.

"It seems so Orochimaru-sama." The Jounin stated.

"We will head out immediately." Orochimaru replied, he didn't bid the man farewell. He rushed to don his shinobi uniform. He placed the black Jounin outfit on and and watched as Kakashi returned wearing his usual green one. How the NW's had managed to resurface was something the two ninja cold not fathom. They had personally destroyed every last military soldier around, how there could be an army in new suits approaching was a nightmare come true. They entered their streets but they never managed to get to the Hokage building. As if history truly did repeat itself, the two elite ninja felt their sense sway and their energy drop. The village blurred and spun until it fell out of their eyes.

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It had been two months since the attack, and every night the ninja awoke they felt as if they would find themselves back in their beds, anywhere other than the nightmare they'd tried so hard to escape from. But it was never so, and they awoke to the same eyes patronizingly watching their every move. Orochimaru hissed in annoyance as he awoke. The NWs were arrogant every time they had the ninja. The NWs had attempted to go around matters differently, they had offered the ninja an ultimatum. They had suggested ninja forfeit their jutsu and allow themselves to be _cleansed_ from their primitive fighting styles. It was all a choice, the NWs did not simply wish to steal the ninjas chakara, as that would mean it was not a proper acceptance of the terms. Many ninja had fallen a part after a month of being prisoner and had agreed. Once a ninja had agreed to the terms they were released into the NWs city, to live a supposedly free life.

However they were marked, and ninja had different rights to pure breed NWs citizens. An NW citizen still frowned upon the ninja, they still treated them as lesser beings. As it stood, minority of the ninja had chosen to rot in their cells rather than give up their jutsu. Orochimaru and Kakashi were one of the few left who had refused. Even they were losing hope. Unlike their previous arrangement, the ninja had no freedom around their situated area.

Orochimaru sat beside his lover leaning into his supportive chest as he played with his hair morbidly.

"How long before we die of depression." Orochimaru said glancing up with irritated eyes at the copy ninja.

"You? Die? I don't think that's happening any time soon." Kakashi said trying to make light of the unfortunate events. Orochimaru wasn't having any of his jokes or humor, he was hardly in the best frame of mind. A man entered the room, both ninja looked up at him.

"No." Kakashi said before the man had asked anything. The man nodded and left. It was the same thing every day. The man would enter and offer them their potential freedom for the trade of their power. They would deny the man.

Orochimaru looked at the man as he left, there were a number of ways to kill a man. The only problem being was the fact that the man could at any second, at the click of a button have both of them euthanized. The machines latched onto their wrists had been programmed to insert pollution into their systems dare they try anything. It in turn would shut their bodies down resulting in immediate death. The man reentered the room with two needles, as always they extended their arms. The man then injected the substance into their arms to stunt their chakara and ensure they could not use jutsu. It was only temporary, but it didn't make much of a difference given the fact that they could not regain their chakara due to constantly being injected every day. The man then asked Orochimaru to follow him, he did as told and Kakashi walked as well. The man gestured for the copy ninja to remain where he was.

"Where are you taking him?" Kakashi asked.

The NW ignored him, and as Kakashi was about to demand an answer he felt a current of electricity run through him. He stumbled backwards more out of sudden fright than pain. Orochimaru hissed at the man for daring hurt his lover, but he remembered past experiences.

If anything, saying or doing something would end his partner up in more pain than he originally was in.

"I'll be fine." Orochimaru said. Kakashi watched with cautious eyes, he wasn't buying it, but he knew acting out would endanger them both so he settled himself. The man ignored them both and requested the Sannin follow him further. They left the copy ninja behind as they walked down the pure white halls. It felt as if they were in a lab rather than a prison cell, and Orochimaru was moved to a different room. The man left him alone in the room and locked the door. The Sannin spent all night alone in the room, not a single window, merely a slightly blinding light in the middle of the roof, a bed, a small bathroom and table. Orochimaru looked around the area which mirrored what he had moments ago been sharing with Kakashi. He had been warned about this, if ninja were too stubborn they split them from any forms of socialization. He and Kakashi were to be left alone in their holding cells till they caved. Orochimaru breathed out, it was a truly hopeless life. There were few options, and fewer reasons to exist at all given the circumstances.

Days passed on like years, and the snake Sannin swore he had lost his mind. He had never been the most stable minded person, everyone knew that, he was renown for his psychopathic tendencies. He had vandalized his own room in the space of three months alone. He had smashed the light, toppled the table. The bed was intact only because he wasn't physically capable of doing much to it. He yelled at the men outside his door to free him, he would hit the door, he would lean against it and speak of nonsensical things to who ever lay beyond his room. He had lost it. He had officially gone mad in the cell. The next time the room door clicked open he looked up at the man with brightly lit golden eyes. The lighting of the holding area was dimmed due to the light being smashed, and the snakes golden eyes were the only other thing which was perfectly visible due to their brightness. He sat elegantly on his bed, one leg hanging off the edge, the other tucked under him. The man seemed unnerved, he knew the snake Sannin had become unhinged during his time away from his companion. The man was new, new blood, he awaited an answer but the Sannin didn't give one.

"Would you like to go through with the procedure?" The man asked, the Sannin watched him intently. The man sighed, he would have said yes had he wanted to. The man left and then returned with his needle in hand.

"Are you going to be watching me instead of that other old bastard?" Orochimaru asked in a slightly hushed voice, his tone some what implying other things. His entire manner suggestive. His brushed his long hair out of his eyes, his sharp features captivating the man momentarily.

"Just for the next week." The man stated, "arm please."

"What a pity." Orochimaru said feigning disappointment, he slipped his sleeve up gracefully them moved his hand just out of reach, "will you leave once you have given me that?"

The man watched the ninja curiously, his human instinct was kicking in, and the serpent was always one to manipulate that primal desire. He sat making himself appear as feminine as possible, his eyes meeting the mans dull ones.

"Would you have me stay?" The man stated.

"Maybe just for a while." Orochimaru replied getting up from his seated position. His sleeve fell back down.

The man was a fool to think he was getting lucky with the ninja because of the Sannins desperate need for human socialization. He did not know the snake well enough to know that he was used to being alone, and the detainment may have crushed his mental state but his spirit was still as always an immortal. The snake was always one to use temptation to get what he wanted. It always started with a snake. The man moved closer to the Sannin who allowed the man to do so. He then tilted his head upwards to allow the man closer. Naively, the NW guard closed his eyes as he leant down to kiss the mystifying serpent. But he never did manage that, Orochimaru had stolen the device out of the mans pocket. He slipped a piece of jagged glass out of his sleeve, one he had attained from the broken light and drove it into the mans throat.

The NW stumbled backwards and reached for his device, but he saw the snake had it. Naturally the Sannin had ensured that his victim was stabbed in the right place to make sure he could not scream. Orochimaru picked up the syringe and emptied it out on the floor before tossing it aside. All he had to do was await the substance to wear out of his blood stream. Then he would have some of his chakara back.

It would only be moments before he escaped his cell.

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Kakashi sat in his cell as he awaited a fate he had no control over. It felt as if he had been away from his lover for decades, and his will to do anything had disappeared. What kept him from agreeing to the destruction of his chakara was his partners voice in the back of his mind. He could hear the Sannin hissing at him, telling him that eternity was not worth giving these men what they wanted. That one day, as they always had, they would find a way to escape. He had no idea how accurate the voice in his head was, how correct that hiss proved to be. His door clicked open and a man entered the room. Kakashi looked up.

"No." He replied dryly.

"Still so much fight in you my love." The man said, Kakashi looked up confused, he recognized the tone of the voice however. Suddenly, the mans face fell away and a pair of golden eyes met his own. Orochimaru watched the copy ninja rush to his feet and embrace him. The serpent had no issues returning the hug.

"How?" Kakashi asked.

"I killed a man, got my chakara back, and morphed into his image." Orochimaru said, "however we only have give or take six days to leave. If you skip your daily injection your chakara will return. Then we can escape. I've already met a few of our friends on the way out of here while I was looking for your room. I swopped out their syringes as well. They'll get out with us when the time comes."

Kakashi shook his head and laughed lightly, what cage could truly hold the snake. An S rank criminal was hardly a good enough status. The serpent was impossible to stop, he would avoid all detainment, he was the death of the army once, he would be the death of them again.

"Who all is escaping with us?" Kakashi asked, still holding onto his lover, the slitted eyes met his eagerly.

"A trip down memory lane." He hissed, "guess."

Kakashi laughed, "I can't think."

"Deidara is one, then I found Hidan. Although he is not my favorite, I found your good friend Asuma as well." Orochimaru said, "I have informed them of a set time to leave. We will all take the forms of our guards after disposing of them. I'll handle the killings as I know how to hide my trails."

Kakashi wondered wether or not that little trick was a good or bad thing. He decided he would see it as good, as the serpent was on their side, and the copy ninja had little reason to believe he would ever not be. Orochimaru suddenly pulled away from his lovers embrace, he had a slightly unsettled look in his lurid eyes, as if the time spent a part had shattered a small part of him.

"I have to go, lingering will be suspicious. I will see you soon." Orochimaru whispered as he leaned up to peck his lovers cheek. He then took the form of another and left the room, shutting it behind him. When he took the form of the NW he even walked the part, it was impossible to tell the serpent from the real guard. It was his ability to lie and deceive which had won him over technology. When one faced a gun, fighting with knife was child's play. However the serpent knew to use poison, the serpent knew how to tip his disadvantage in his favor. Kakashi heard the door lock, all that was left was to await his lovers return, and his chakaras return at that.

For the first few hours Kakashi feared his chakara would not return, that perhaps he some how had a lesser tolerance than the snake, which would stop him from being able to use his chakara much longer. After another hour he started fearing his chakara may simply never return. As he defeatedly leant against the wall a flash of blue ignited around him. His eyes dropped to his hands instantly as he examined the return of his power. He didn't remember just how complete he felt with the natural ability back in his veins.

It was only about two hours later that Orochimaru entered again. He looked at his partner with a loving stare as he approached, a soft look he only ever displayed to the copy ninja, as he was the only person the serpent trusted fully.

"I can sense your chakara from here." Orochimaru said.

"You've always had a sense for power." Kakashi joked, "where to now?"

"I just killed the last guard and disposed of him." Orochimaru said, "take his form, we are leaving immediately. Their shifts are over, replacements are coming in. We have half an hour to get as far as we possibly can."

"Then let's go." Kakashi agreed. They headed out the door, the copy ninja allowing the snake to leave first, he waited a few minutes to make sure it didn't seem to oddly timed. He then proceeded and they exited the building. They all held their breath, five other men joined them on their way out. Three must have been the other ninja, the other two actual NW soldiers. Either way Orochimaru took the lead and gave the rest of the group confidence to move forwards. Despite the snakes willingness to follow, when nobody jumped to fill the position he was always first on the scene.

The same strange metallic box with wheels awaited them, the NWs called them cars, the ninja called them death traps. They entered, and the driver looked over at them before gesturing to one of the NWs.

"How's your kid been? Out of hospital yet." The driver asked. The NW faltered, it must have been one of the ninja, however he caught himself.

"Not yet, one more day." He replied, the driver nodded.

"Tell him I send my regards will you." The driver said.

"I will." The disguised ninja said. For the journey home, Kakashi tried to guess which ninja was disguised as which NW, and which two NW were actually who they were. He knew which man Orochimaru was, but he was still trying to figure out which men the other three were. He guessed the man on the far left was Deidara. He sat much like Orochimaru, a little more feminine than most males. Then he guessed the one beside him was Hidan, as he sat comfortably, yet on alert. Much like the immortal to be over confident despite the predicament. He struggled to pin point Asuma, as the other three showed no major differences to normal NWs.

The cab came to a stop and two of the men seemed the most eager to get out the cab, all the men exited, ninja included. They held their breath, they were close to being completely free with out losing their chakara. The cab driver said his goodbyes and two of the men walked separate ways. When they had left Orochimaru gestured they follow, they hadn't walked around the corner as they had wanted to when their forms disappeared.

"My chakara!" Hidan snapped, all the ninja were exposed in their true forms. It was thankfully night so nobody was around besides the odd street walker. Orochimaru flashed irritated eyes around at his team, all of them had been forced to stop their jutsu of disguise. He couldn't figure out why their chakara had once more vanished.

"Where the hell are the stars?" Kakashi asked, the ninja looked up to see a pitch black sky. The only lights around were the street lamps, once they looked upwards it was as if they were looking into a black hole. Not a single sign of any stars around. The ninja watched it for a moment an eerie feeling passing them. Suddenly, stars started appearing almost as if they were man made.

They passed troubled looks at one another. Orochimaru moved closer to Kakashi as he became more anxious and the copy ninja drew him in to provide some reassurance.

"Fuck is this." Hidan snapped, "maybe something passed the sky above us and blocked out the stars."

"Why is our chakara gone again?" Asuma asked.

"We can figure it out come morning." Kakashi said, "for now we should find shelter."

"Where will we look?" Deidara asked.

"We can't set a destination in a land we are not familiar with. I suggest we keep moving north." Orochimaru said.

"Yeah, opposite way from that prison." Hidan said.

"By morning there will be wanted signs of us everywhere." Asuma said, "they will put up our pictures and the whole city will know who to look for."

"In all honesty, I do not think they will." Orochimaru said, "if word gets out we escaped they will be in a bad place. Ninja will know there is hope, meaning they will not agree to the ultimatum, and citizens will panic thinking there are rogues amid them."

"That's true. The fucks have to keep this on the down low." Hidan replied, "come on let's walk."

The ninja carried on down the street until they decided they would rather take a few moments to rest. They ended up under a bridge, in which they stayed under it for shelter. It was windless in the city, it all felt unnatural. As tired as the ninja were they all found it was hard to sleep. They spoke and shared their time in the cell, what they thought of doing during their capture. The mad plans and schemes they considered, and ultimately, what made them refuse to give in to the proposal.

"No ways am I living forever with out chakara." Hidan stated, "plus I have way to much to lose, I'm the best there is you know."

"Well we aren't so sure about that last part," Deidara said, "but I didn't want to say yes because the only reason I ever found my purpose was through my art. I wasn't giving that up for a life in a cage."

"I am glad you didn't. I refused to give up all I worked on achieving. Besides, with out jutsu I am weak, and I swore I'd never allow myself to be weak again." Orochimaru said, he glanced at Kakashi, "what about you?"

"Honestly, I had your voice in the back of mind threatening me every day. Kind of felt like you never left." The copy ninja replied, Hidan cackled like a hyena and Orochimaru swiped at him, more playfully than out of anger however.

"Asuma?" Orochimaru asked, the man hadn't engaged in most of the conversation.

"Sorry what was that?" Asuma asked, evidently haven not been listening to their get together.

"Why didn't you give in to the proposal?" Kakashi asked. Asuma shrugged.

"I didn't want to." He said briefly. He didn't say more, and it was clear he didn't want to. For what ever reason he was entranced by the slightly fake looking stars. Kakashi got up to stand by his friend, Orochimaru moved off his lap to allow him room to leave. The serpent then moved closer to the artist, the two haven still maintained their friendship since their last capture. Suddenly the stars departed and it appeared as if morning was arriving. It was getting lighter at a slow rate, once again, at an unnatural rate. But as light filtered through the group realized what they were looking at. There was no sky, or no visible one. A large dome covered the entire city. It explained the windless air, as the city was not outside so no wind could pass through. It also explained the stars, they must have been lights designed to look like stars. Perhaps to give the citizens locked inside the dome the illusion of being under a natural sky. The city was getting louder and suddenly the snake remembered guards chatting about something.

"This whole place is designed to deny ninja chakara." He said, "the dome around us keeps us locked in a toxin which stifles our power, which means for as long as we are in here... We will never have jutsu."

"Crap." Asuma said irritably, "we are stuck in this city anyway."

"Not exactly." Orochimaru said, "we still have a shot at getting out the dome. Then we just need to smash it from the outside and we will free the other shinobi."

"What's the bet the NW haven't figured out how to fully stop chakara as a whole." Kakashi suggested, "if you think about, the reason they want us to agree to the proposal is so we accept we have no jutsu, if we accept it we would never try and use it again. If that's so, perhaps the other ninja aren't permanently powerless."

"It's a possibility. One I hope comes true." Hidan stated, "but daylight is here. We can't sit under the bridge all day."

"We can find a place to stay now that it's day." Deidara suggested, "As we already said, nobody knows we escaped, it's going to be on the down low. And ninja walk the streets now anyway. It won't lead to suspicion."

The other ninja agreed and came out from under the bridge into unknown territory. It was daunting, but there was no point hiding when they were not being sought out.

They waited for more light to enter the man made sky and then they entered the heart of the city near them. They did not know which way would lead them to an exit but they knew which way would lead them far from their previous detainment.

Orochimaru stuck closely to the copy ninjas side, and Kakashi had no issues with it. They had been a part for far too long. The copy ninja could see Asuma still had issues with the Sannin, and although he had come to terms with his and Kakashi's relationship he still harbored some resentment to his fathers killer. He tried his best to hide it however and the copy ninja was grateful for that much.

They passed many NW citizens, all of which sneered at the ninja. Orochimaru glanced at other ninja passing, they all had markings on their wrists indicating they were clear of jutsu. A brand as to speak. The five escapees had no such marking. The Sannin pulled his group aside.

"We need to draw on our markings, if we are spotted with out them we will be taken into custody." He stressed.

"We can just grab some ink and draw a fake one on." Hidan suggested.

"Where do we get ink from?" Deidara asked.

"Any house should have." Orochimaru offered.

Asuma looked at him irritably but then restrained himself from sounding harsh when he spoke to the Sannin.

"We can't ask a household for ink its suspicious." He said.

"I wasn't planning on asking." Orochimaru stated, "during our last capture I robbed a family."

The Sannin recounted sneaking in through the window, it hadn't ended well, In fact he had been caught due to unfortunate circumstances. But the likeliness of getting caught a second time seemed slim, as the previous failure had been out of his control. This time he knew what to do, what to expect and what to avoid.

Asuma watched him worriedly as did the other ninja.

"I've done it before. These people aren't that aware of their surroundings. Their senses are dulled due to technology spoon feeding them." Orochimaru said, "we just need to go to a lower part of town."

"We have accomplished worse to be honest." Deidara admitted.

"We can't all go in. A crowd won't get away with it." Kakashi stated, he knew his lover wouldn't take the group into a plan which was doomed to fail. If the Sannin had worked out their odds as high he wouldn't test his theory.

"Two of us will go then. I've done it before, so I will be one of them." Orochimaru said agreeing with his partner.

"I'll go." Deidara said, Kakashi had wanted to join his lover but he noticed how eager the blond was and decided not to push for anything.

"Then it's settled. We will locate and assess a potential house in the lower areas." Orochimaru said.

"In the morning? Won't people be in and out of their houses?" Asuma asked.

"I didn't have much luck at night, in fact daytime is probably a better option." Orochimaru said, "it's a petty robbery anyhow, it's nothing major."

"Just be careful." Asuma said again, Orochimaru watched him curiously. He had never heard the man express care towards him.

"We will." Orochimaru replied brushing hair out of his eyes.

The ninja walked amid the streets until they located a house which they deemed suitable. Orochimaru and Deidara headed for the open window on the side of the house, but they kept themselves on low profile. The other ninja moved far from the house to avoid any eyes landing on them either. The two feminine ninja had done enough missions in stealth to know how to avoid detection, with or with out chakara. They helped one another to get through the window quietly and landed soundlessly in what appeared to be the lounge. They ducked behind the furniture as they navigated the room. There was a faint sound of voices nearer the front of the house, but it was to distant to be of any concern to the ninja.

They rummaged through draws but found that there was nothing of use in any of them. Orochimaru gestured for the blond to follow him into the next room and Deidara did as he was told. They entered a small badly lit room which appeared to be an office of some kind. It seemed to be the most promising room in the house and soon enough Deidara pulled on the Sannins sleeve. The serpent looked over at his friend and saw he was clutching a marker. The two ninja walked towards the door and the blond almost threw it open.

Orochimaru grabbed his hand as he heard approaching footsteps.

"He didn't say where he was going." The voice boomed, a mans voice, a rather deep throated man at that. He appeared to be heading straight for the two ninja and they passed worried glances at one another. Orochimaru decided they better not wish and pray the man would pass their room and gestured for Deidara to get into the cupboard behind them. The door clicked open minutes later.

"Just give me a minute!" The man yelled to whoever he was speaking to. He started rummaging in the draws.

"Hope he doesn't need the pen. That could give us away." Deidara whispered. Orochimaru looked over at him with curious eyes, their golden colour bright in the darkness.

"How would that throw our cover?" He whispered.

"It won't be there." Deidara replied, almost as if it were the snake who was being naive.

"... I don't think pens are a high item of theft." Orochimaru muttered. The man sighed in frustration.

"I said give me a minute Jayla!" He yelled.

"Who is he yelling at?" Deidara said, "we would have heard them if he can."

"I'm shocked he hasn't heard _us_." Orochimaru said looking through the key hole.

"Crap." Deidara said suddenly. Orochimaru glanced over at his friend.

"What?"

"I dropped the pen." He said.

"We can get it when he leaves." Orochimaru said.

It turned out to be a long wait. The man must have been shuffling through his desk for forty five minutes, each passing second making the two feminine ninja locked in the cupboard regret their decision.

"This Jayla person might as well leave with out him." Orochimaru snapped in a hushed voice.

"I'm this close to just walking out of here." Deidara admitted.

"How did you last in the Akatsuki with such little patience?" Orochimaru asked. Deidara shrugged, he hardly missed the group of thugs. It was a much better arrangement in the new village. They were eventually sitting on the floor of the wardrobe when they heard a young women enter.

"What on earth is taking you?" The women asked.

"I need my my notes. I can't go up there with out them." He snapped, "I know I left them in here."

"Did you check your laptop bag?" She asked.

"I can't find that either." He said.

"Isn't it in the cupboard?" The women asked heading over.

Deidara glanced at the serpent nervously, Orochimaru moved closer to the blond where most of the hanging clothes were. Hopefully even if she did open half of the cupboard, they would be able to stay undetected. It was their last hope really.

"Found it!" The man exclaimed, the two let out sighs of relief.

"Then lets go, we are already horribly late." The women said as her voice became more distant.

The door closed behind the two NW citizens as they left and the two rogues leapt out the closet. Deidara turned back and rummaged around the cupboards floor. Orochimaru waited for him then reminded him they had kept the others waiting long enough. The two ninja made their way back to the window and clambered out, then they heard a voice behind them.

"Deidara." The voice spoke, the two ninja were outside already, the serpent over the wall. The blond cursed, he hadn't kept himself hidden well enough. Orochimaru didn't seem alarmed however and turned back to look over the wall again. He sat perched at the top as Deidara attempted to get up as well before his name was called.

To the blonds relief they stared into a some what familiar face, one the two ninja assumed they knew from the village.

"I'm Tenten." She stated as she realized the two infamous rogues, who had lost their infamous status may not know a lowly Chunin by name, "a ninja."

"Perfect." Orochimaru said as he hopped off the wall, she seemed slightly confused as he approached her, "you've been marked correct?"

"Uh-yeah..." She replied.

"Can we see it." He asked, she nodded and displayed the brand on her wrist. Orochimaru analyzed it then grabbed the pen from the blond male. Once he had attained the pen he pulled his friends wrist to him and redrew the mark.

"Why... Don't you two have one?" Tenten asked.

"We escaped rather than agree to their terms." Deidara stated, Orochimaru gave him a warning look. He hadn't wanted anyone to know of their feat dare word get out amid the other ninja and they expose their location by accident. He didn't know if he could trust the girl, he didn't know her.

"I didn't know that was possible... I... I would never have given up my jutsu had I-" she broke off, her voice dead as she realized she had lost the one thing she had worked hard for all her life. When she could have simply escaped. Orochimaru shook his head, it was too late now anyhow.

"We have a theory..." He started, "that the NWs do not have a way of destroying chakara permanently. As chakara can be healed... And regenerated. Which means we simply have to get out of the area to restore what was lost. But this isn't something you can talk about. Not to anyone. Don't change how you've been living now. Don't try anything to escape, we will handle that, keep this secret."

Her eyes lit up, her entire energy picking up, she nodded then dropped her hand to her side as he finished sketching the marking onto his friends wrist.

"Stay safe." He said.

"And to you. Both of you." Tenten said, "oh, and watch out for sector C, they're a mean bunch and they are always on the look out for ninja to pick on, wouldn't want them exposing you during one of their... Investigations."

"Sector C?" Deidara asked.

"It's a few towns from here, a three hour walk." Tenten said, "but I assume you'll be traveling for a long time before you reach a conclusion on how to end this all once more. The military we faced was big, but this time, you can times that size by ten."

"We are prepared for anything. They can send their machines in the thousands." Orochimaru stated, "thank you for the advice."

"Thank you for the reassurance, but you should go. And I should get back to work." Tenten stated, picking up a basket which she had placed on the ground when she saw the ninja. She must have been working for the NW household. It was hard for a ninja to find work when they were seen less as human and more as captives.

The two rogues hopped the wall and on their way back to their team Deidara drew the same mark he saw on himself on to the snake Sannin. They had done good jobs of making the brands identical to the others. The three men who had been waiting for them jumped as they approached.

"Thank the gods." Kakashi said as he hugged the Sannin.

"Worried?" Deidara laughed.

"You wouldn't believe." Hidan muttered, "what the hell took you?"

"We had to wait for the residents to leave before we could." Orochimaru stated, "wrist."

Kakashi gave him his arm and watched as the snake summoner drew on the brand. It wasn't an intricate design thankfully and was easy to redo over and over again. Hidan was hasty to get his and extended his arm almost knocking the slim ninja over. Orochimaru glared at him with slitted eyes before drawing the mark. He then moved to do Asuma's. It was slightly more awkward given the fact that they were not on good terms. No longer bad terms, but still not the best ones. Orochimaru finished up quickly then slipped the pen back in his pocket.

They still needed a steady destination, for all they knew so far was to avoid a three hour away location and avoid their past time prison. It wasn't much to work off.

Authors note- hope you enjoyed the story, if you haven't read Captured, and are wondering anything feel free to ask in the review section and I will clear anything up. Catch you guys soon! ~Hourglass8


	2. Dogs of the street

_"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."_

The ninja headed into the large city with no other goal than escaping it. However they knew that would take time, and that in that time they would need to secure their basic needs such as food and shelter. Money was the main issue in that factor, so they would seek out ways to earn money, ways which would not bind them to one location. They would find odd jobs, or else, as the snake Sannin so casually said, they could rob people.

"Those people worked for that money." Kakashi admitted, feeling slightly morally incorrect. Asuma agreed with him, Hidan and Deidara watched them in confusion, immoral plans was a common occurrence to the ex-Akatsuki members.

"We won't take their homes." Deidara said, "just a bit of money."

"These bastards took our freedom. They can lose some coins." Hidan snapped.

"Not directly they didn't. Their leaders did." Asuma said.

"Their is no justifying theft." Orochimaru said, "so I won't bother. But let's be logical shall we? We can't eat morals."

"There are other ways to get money." Kakashi offered.

"It's not practical in the long run, but fine. Let's do it your way first. If we are starving under a cardboard box by the end of the week we start doing things our way."

They agreed it was fair enough, so they patrolled the streets seeking out what they could do to earn coins. The ninja ended up walking through busy streets, Orochimaru watched the people stream past in their everyday busy manners. The team eventually decided to split up to find possible places to earn money from, they parted ways deciding they would meet up at that very exact spot in two hours time. Deidara muttered how unsafe it would be for him and Orochimaru to walk alone in the city, so Hidan decided to go with the blond to ease his mind. When Kakashi offered to walk with the Sannin, his lover objected, he was less concerned for his own safety and more interested in being more productive. Kakashi was more useful looking for money than he was playing body guard for the slightly smaller ninja. Asuma had left before the team had settled on who was going with who, muttering something about having an idea. Orochimaru kissed his partner goodbye and disappeared into the crowd. He hadn't a clue where he would start looking, but some how fate brought something to him.

He was pulled aside from his group by an unknown citizen, a young man who had skittish eyes.

"I need you to do me a favor." The man said, he couldn't have been older than twenty three, "that's my ex. I need you to pretend to be with me."

He didn't give the pale ninja much of a choice as he slipped his arm around his waist. Orochimaru was shocked, and slightly appalled, but he didn't move away, he watched as a young women passed. She greeted the man still holding onto the Sannin.

"It's good to see you again..." The women said.

"You to. This is..." The man faltered.

"Orochimaru." Orochimaru replied with a sweet smile. He didn't know the context of their life story, but he bet if he lied for the man he could gain a few coins off him.

"Oh." The Nw citizen said her eyes dropping into something more glum, "are you two..."

"Together, yeah." The man inserted. Orochimaru looked up at him with golden eyes. He wasn't thrilled with the proximity but there was little other options screaming at him.

"That's great." The women stated, "I should- get going. Bye."

She left into the crowd rejoining with two other women, all of which were shooting daggers at the ninja and NW.

"Thanks." The man said, he was met by questioning eyes, "I'm sorry about that- she was my ex."

"You said so." Orochimaru stated, "are those her friends?"

"Yeah, are they looking?" He asked, he had his back to them.

"Yes." Orochimaru replied, "in fact, they're heading this way."

"Shit, play the part a bit longer." The man said.

"What's in it for me?" Orochimaru asked with sly eyes. The man chuckled lightly.

"I knew you looked like a bit of a cat." He said, "I'll pay you."

Orochimaru smirked, "deal."

The two women headed over they seemed to be judging the two of them harshly with cold stares. They pulled up by them and awaited a greeting, they didn't offer words of their own, they were expectant of the man to uphold the conversation. But the man was stuck for words, the socially awkward situation made the snake sigh internally. He better get extra for saving the mans social life.

"I'm Orochimaru." The Sannin greeted with sweet smile, fake no doubt but hard to read as such.

"A ninja?" She snapped.

"Perceptive." Orochimaru chuckled. The women seemed rather irritated at the sarcastic comment.

"They look human, but they're not the same." The other women said to the man.

"Don't speak about them like that." The man stated, "they're as human as any of us."

"Bullshit." The other women muttered, "bet the only reason you got someone as pretty as her is because she is a slave to our society, it's easy to pick up someone with no rights."

Orochimaru's smile dropped, he hadn't realized everyone in the conversation thought he was a girl. He supposed it was fine, what did it really matter any how. All he wanted was the money at the end of the little act.

"That's not why I am with him. Ninja have some rights, enough to allow us our independence." Orochimaru answered his eyes strong and slightly intimidating, their confidence daunting.

"True, this guy doesn't have enough money for himself let alone an extra add on." The women laughed, "enjoy your day, but I have to tell you how short lived this will be, she will realize she is far to pretty to be stuck with a man like you."

"That is assuming I'm superficial." Orochimaru retorted, "we should not weigh one another on our appearances."

The women glared at him before saying their farewells. They walked back to their other friend and proceeded with their obvious ranting. The man let out a sigh.

"That was awful." He said.

"I need to go, I have places to-" Orochimaru was cut off as the sound of skin hitting skin thumped above him. He looked behind him to see the man he had helped holding his mouth which may or may not have been bleeding. Kakashi had a closed fist as he turned to face the Sannin, standing in front of the serpent as if he needed saving.

"You okay?" He asked his partner, Orochimaru moved him aside with a light smile.

"I was fine," he said then upon seeing the man rise and Kakashi advance he swiftly added, "don't hit him!"

"Why, who is he?" Kakashi asked.

"He asked me to- it's a long story. He isn't a threat, In fact he was just about to pay up for my service." Orochimaru stated, Kakashi seemed skeptical, from his perspective all he saw was a man pulling his lover into his chest, firmly trapping him by the waist. _Service_ made the whole ordeal seem slightly insidious.

"Not like that Kakashi." Orochimaru sighed, he went down to the still whimpering man clutching his face, "my apologies, he misunderstood matters. Now as we were saying, my pay."

"Who is that?" The man asked as he moved his hand away from his face.

"His boyfriend." Kakashi said, his eyes watching the man carefully.

"His? Shit man I didn't mean to offend anyone, I was just leaving. Here." He said taking out his wallet and handing the contents to the Sannin. He had made two discoveries that day, the feminine ninja he had seen turned out to be male, and he turned out to have a boyfriend willing to do damage to who ever stepped out of line around that said male.

"Pleasure doing business." Orochimaru said, "if you ever need me to play along I'm always willing... I promise he won't punch you again."

"Thanks." The man muttered ducking away from the event, Orochimaru smiled up at his partner.

"This making money thing isn't so tough after all." He said.

"I won't ask how that was made." Kakashi replied.

"It's hardly an exciting tale my love." Orochimaru laughed pecking the man in front of him, "we should continue our searches."

"Yeah, I'll make sure not to punch any... Clients again?" Kakashi replied.

"Please." The serpent slipped back into the crowd as he placed the money in his pocket. He couldn't have been five minutes from his lover when a group of men yelling at one another caught his attention. He walked up to hear what they were discussing. They seemed to be having a debate about the physics of one of their buildings.

"If you do that you idiot the wall won't last." The man said irritably.

"You know nothing. Just go with what we were told." The other man snapped.

"I don't think this is the edited plan of the building." The man said again.

"How do you know?" His companion asked.

"Those measurements don't add up." He stated.

"You can't do maths you idiot." The guy snapped.

"I can do the basics. I just need it to be explained again, or I need to know where the error is to redo it." The man snapped. The Sannin glided over to look at the maths which was apparently indecipherable. His golden eyes snapped up the errors in the proposal within two moments. Errors being the correct word as all the way down he noticed incorrect work.

"That's wrong." The snake stated confidently. The men looked over at him skeptically but the man which was set on the idea of the work being incorrect checked it himself.

"Why. If it's wrong correct it." He said harshly handing him the plan, the serpent smiled as he took the basic problem. For a mastermind like himself, it was a child's sum. He gracefully swooped up the pen and guided black strands behind his ear to see the paper better. He then promptly corrected the draft and handed it back.

"By the way, your floor B will never hold given that support. I suggest splitting the two rooms below it to add extra support structures." Orochimaru said.

The man analyzed it, he then nodded and looked back at the ninja with curious and impressed eyes.

"I know how to manage this stuff, before hand I could tell the plan was shit, but it all adds up now." He said, "smart for a ninja huh?"

"Most ninja have a higher standard of thinking actually." Orochimaru stated, "I'm looking to earn money, but I move from town to town, do you know any careers which allow that?"

"Shit, sorry no." The man admitted, "it's hard for you lot to get a job. People under pay ninja as well, since they have little choice and all."

"I see." Orochimaru said slightly irritably, he hid his frustrations at the unfairness of the society and was about to wave his goodbyes when the man handed him something.

"I'm not the biggest advocate for ninjas rights I'll admit, but I pay for honest work. Best of luck." He said as he handed the ninja something he had retrieved from his pocket. Orochimaru thanked him and then departed, he could hear the other man complaining about the man wasting his money on people who did not matter. The snake ignored it, so far he had gotten money off doing practically nothing. Perhaps all the ninja had to do was odd jobs around the city rather than robbing people after all. It took a perceptive individual to locate the citizens who needed help, but for the ninja, locating those in distress was second nature. The serpent moved around from shop to shop trying to see what was a potential place to earn some more money.

He eventually, after another hour of walking found a man yelling at one of his employees.

"It's only a half an hour left of the event, can't she stay?" He complained.

"She has already gone to the hospital. She is very ill." The women said trying to calm him down.

"We are a man down. We need four servers." He snapped.

"Three should be fine." She stated back.

"There are four sectors to work." He snapped, "these are important people."

Orochimaru swooped in to talk to the man, he noticed the men must have been important indeed as they held themselves with utter arrogance. Two other people dressed in similar outfits to the woman getting yelled at arrived by the man at the same time.

"They're getting impatient." One stated.

"One of us will just have to work a double shift in the last half an hour." The women said.

"They're never going to agree to our arrangement with this service." The man said irritably.

"Need an extra hand?" The Sannin asked, his golden eyes snatching up every detail in the room. The man looked at him and was about to say something in an angry tone when he for some or other reason smiled.

"You're a ninja?" He asked.

"Yes." Orochimaru said.

"You lot are always desperate for money. Tell you what, fill the fourth shift and I'll scrap up something to give you." The man said, he didn't ask, he more expected. It then occurred to the Sannin that ninja most likely always took odd jobs. It must have been rough trying to attain a job at all, and NW citizens made full use of ninja being in hard times.

"Alright, what must I do?" He asked.

"It's just a normal waitressing job." The women said politely, "issue is there are a lot of people here, all of which are imperials or else nobles. They don't like waiting, and they have never been forced to. Be polite, be prompt. You handle that section of the restaurant. Hope you have a good memory ninja."

She darted off to handle her sector as already the snake could see imperials and apparent nobles getting slightly agitated that there was no one to speak to. Orochimaru walked towards the tables he was due to help, he knew his memory had never failed him, and he knew his confidence had never failed either. With that knowledge he told his pride to settle down as the demeaning job of serving would only last until he could blow the entire NW society to its hands and knees once more. He arrived at the first table and put on his friendliest smile. The men didn't seem bothered at the fact that he was a ninja and told him what they wanted.

So far so good he thought as he recited what they wanted to the women at the desk, she nodded and hurriedly typed it into the machine in front of her.

The serpent made his way around his sector quickly as asked, as the men were irritable from their apparent difficult lives. It was all smooth running until the last ten minutes when the restaurant was finally empty, all expect for one table in his sector.

One man called to the snake, and he should have known there was some kind of ulterior motive when he saw the smile spread across his face. Arrogant, and confident in the fact that a lowly ninja could do little to report the man regardless of what he said and did.

"You're a ninja." He stated, for the third time that day. The Sannin kept his facade of being polite and courteous. He knew how to lie after all.

"I am." He said, "did you need anything?"

"No, just wanted to talk." He replied, the other men at the table watched him with fixed eyes, "what made you decide to agree to the proposal and join our ranks?"

It was all small talk, it was leading else where and the Sannin knew it. But he could hardly walk away from the man, it was his duty to do as he was told until the last ten minutes were up.

"I decided it would be a better life living here given the fact that I would simply remain a prisoner other wise." Orochimaru said.

"Isn't he confident for a ninja." The man laughed, "sit down."

Orochimaru knew there was no way he was settling down next to the man, he had ordered many drinks during the half an hour shift, he must have been tipsy and slightly to out of mind to realize what he was actually doing. Either that or he was completely insensitive to the obvious tight spot he placed the ninja in. Had there been other customers around he would have used them as a scape goat.

"I wouldn't want to impose on your meeting gentlemen." Orochimaru said, hoping the man would give up but knowing he would not.

"Nonsense, the meetings over, it's just a few guys talking now." The man said, "please, sit."

The man made a point of making room for the serpent, but the Sannin still didn't make a notion to sit down for the first few seconds. He then decided there was little the men could do to him in broad daylight, and it would be harmless to waste the last ten minutes with the man anyhow.

He sat down beside the man and moments after another NW citizen returned from the bathroom. He ended up sitting beside the Sannin, now blocking him from exiting at will.

Orochimaru found himself sitting in between the two large males now completely dependent on them moving for him to be able to do the same.

He maintained his assured attitude, and tried his best to allow his discomfort to disappear. They spoke for the next fifteen minutes until finally the manager asked if the Sannin wanted to leave.

He was grateful and stated to the gentlemen that he should go as business hours were over.

"He will be out in a minute." The one man said to the manager, he didn't argue and asked the serpent to collect his payment when he was done.

"I should probably go." Orochimaru said, his golden eyes met the man nearest to him.

"Have any plans? Maybe you would like to come back to my house." The man offered. The Sannins eyes narrowed, the comment wasn't what agitated him but the lack of tact. How desperate did these people assume ninja were.

"I must decline your generous offer." He said, his voice dripping in sarcasm, "I must be going."

The men seemed irritated at his response and the male blocking him from getting out of the seating arrangement didn't budge.

"Where do you have to be now that's more important than spending some time with us?" One man said.

"I was working, my shift is over." Orochimaru stated, "I need to go home."

"You were just a substitute today right?" The man asked.

"I was yes." Orochimaru replied.

"You were looking to earn extra money no doubt huh ninja?" The man asked.

"Yes." The Sannin said, his responses getting shorter to imply he was finished talking.

"Want to earn some extra?" The man asked. The snakes slitted eyes narrowed up at the man.

"I have enough now." The serpent said.

"Really?" The man said, "well, if you change your mind give me a call won't you?"

The man handed the snake a card with numbers jotted down onto it. He didn't know how phones worked, as ninja never used them. He was unaware of what the numbers truly meant and he held it in his slim fingers the paper slightly creased now. He was anxious to simply leave. Finally the man got up and they allowed him to move away. It took the Sannin seconds to grab his payment and dart out the building. He saw the men watch him as he left before they took out metallic objects and held it to their ears. He could feel their eyes on him even as he walked away. The odd feeling of being watch stayed with the Sannin even as he rounded a corner, even after he had been walking for ten minutes. He was heading back to the ninja meeting spot when a rough hand grabbed him before slamming him into the wall. His eyes fell to the hand which held him and he noted a black marking on his wrist. It was a ninja, a gang of ninja more accurately.

"Your money." The ninja snapped. The Sannin hissed, he swore to the gods above if these barbaric ninja robbed him of his honest earned money.

"I'm a ninja you bastard." The snake hissed, "shouldn't we be robbing the rich rather."

"I said hand over the money." The man said again, his adrenalin clearly pumping. Orochimaru couldn't help his anger, if he had his chakara he would have torn the thugs a part. He would have painted the streets in their blood and called it another day. However he was defenseless and he had little stopping the men from robbing him other than his pure stubbornness.

"You deaf or something?" Another ninja asked from behind his friend. The glint of metal suddenly flashed from one of the men's pockets, a knife most likely. He decided his money wasn't worth his life.

"There's no need for that." He hissed, he handed the man holding him to the wall what he had just earned over the last few hours. The man gave it to his friend who counted it and then backed away slightly. The ninja holding him pulled the Sannin forwards before ramming him into the wall harshly. For good measure he forced the Sannin to the floor as he swiftly kicked him, the serpent hissed in pain as the men darted away. He held his head from where the wall collided with it before rising shakily. He watched the men's retreating backs and leant against the wall.

He didn't know if he was sad, defeated or angered. Perhaps all three, but he leant on the wall simply doing nothing for about ten minutes before deciding he might as well head back. Kakashi may well have been worrying for him. Deidara had been right, ninja of their stature and build simply could not be independent, they could not do what they pleased as it was a dangerous world. It was NW imperials cat calling and offering their beds or else it was their very own shinobi robbing them. He pulled himself together to walk home. Perhaps he didn't need Kakashi to walk with him next time, perhaps all he needed was a knife of his own.

The next man to so much as look at him with ill intent would be sliced from one side of his throat to the other. He was done trying it the others way. He would return to acting immorally, he had learnt by now that morals were always taken for granted, and those who did things the right way never truly went anywhere. If anything had taught him that lesson it was his time in Konoha before his defect. He rounded the next corner and collided with the men he had spoken to at the restaurant. The mans smile faded when his eyes landed on the ninja.

"Hey what happened to you, you hurt?" He asked coming to the ninja. Orochimaru looked up at the taller man miserably. He hardly wanted his company after being mugged.

"I was robbed." He stated, all too honestly for his own liking. But it appeared the shock from the event had not yet worn off. He was speaking with out his own consent and it was making him even more irritable. He hadn't wanted to relay the last event, he had wanted to get on with his life, but it had still shaken him and in that weakened state he had opened his mouth and confessed his own failure. He hated being defenseless.

"What? By who?" The man said, wether it was true care or fake care the serpent didn't know. He probably could have read the mans true intentions if he had put any thought into any of it, but truth be told he didn't bother think about it. He was still wondering what him and his team would eat tonight now that he had been robbed of his money.

"I don't know, some desperate ninja." He stated, he noticed afterwards that he had justified why the ninja had robbed him. He had gone on autopilot and he had quickly made sure the NW men knew that the ninja would not do malicious things with out reason. He tried to uphold the ninja name.

"Typical. Sadly that's a dime a dozen in this town." The man said, "tell you what, it's nothing to me, I'll reimburse you."

Orochimarus eye leapt up as the man extended more money to him, clearly the man didn't know he was talking to the most untrusting ninja on their continent. He knew nothing was free, and he wasn't willing to be naive on his acceptances.

"I have nothing to offer in return. Excuse me for sounding ungrateful, but I'd rather not owe anyone anything." The serpent said.

"Owe me? Nah, consider it compensation for making you uncomfortable earlier." The man said.

"Hardly a fair trade." Orochimaru said again.

"This money is nothing to me, I would've just blown it on more drinks." The man said. He then proceeded in shoving it into the Sannins hand as he had done earlier with the card.

"No I don't want-" but the Sannin was ignored as the man reunited with his friends. He waved the serpent off and got into a metallic box with four wheels before it roared to life and left.

He looked at the car wondering if what had happened was good or bad. What if he ran into the man again and he expected something. Orochimaru looked down at the card in his pocket. He supposed he could use the money, then when times were better he could repay him.

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"Where is he?" Deidara said worriedly, "I warned him we shouldn't go alone."

Hidan looked down at the blond and shook his head, he wasn't sure if he had saved the smaller ninja from any criminals. They hadn't managed to make any money anyhow.

"He will show up." Asuma stated uncaringly.

"How long has it been?" Kakashi asked.

"He is twenty minutes late." Deidara replied.

"Sorry." Orochimaru said as he came up from the street, the first thing the group noticed was the blood running down the side of his head. Kakashi trotted up to meet his lover and wrapped an arm around him to turn the serpent to look at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked for the second time that day.

"What? Oh yeah, it's just a scratch." Orochimaru said, "it's nothing to worry about."

"Looks deep." Hidan said.

"It's really not." Orochimaru said.

"What happened?" Deidara asked rushing to his friends side worriedly.

"Some low life ninjas jumped me a little way from here." Orochimaru said, "I didn't get hurt."

"You're bleeding, what do you mean you didn't get hurt?" Hidan said, "where are they now? We can go mess them up."

"Firstly, they are long gone and secondly they are armed with knives. I'd rather get a weapon myself before picking a fight with anybody." Orochimaru stated.

"Did you earn any money?" Asuma asked, the copy ninja glared at him. His lover was evidently hurt after an attack, and all his friend cared about was wether or not he had earned anything. He restrained himself from commenting on the matter and instead left it. After all, it appeared as if the Sannin didn't want to harbor on the day's events.

"Well the guys who attacked me robbed me-" Orochimaru started.

"Fucking great." Asuma said irritably, he hadn't earned a single coin either. Kakashi had been the only other ninja to earn something, and it was close to nothing. Certainly not enough to house and feed five ninja.

"As I was saying, there was some guy I spoke to during one of my jobs. We ran into each other and he gave me back what I lost." Orochimaru said, "in fact he gave me more than what I lost."

"Thank the heavens." Asuma said, "how much is it?"

"Money isn't the main focus of this conversation." Kakashi finally snapped.

"What do you mean?" Asuma said irritably.

"He just got mugged can we ignore the money for the moment?" The copy ninja said.

"Listen, while I was out the only thing I managed to gather was that these streets get rough at night. There is no way we can possibly hope to live out here at night. We need a place to stay." Asuma said, "Orochimaru is fine, out of all of us he knows how to hold his own physically and mentally. Don't worry about him so much, if he needed help he would have asked you for it."

There was an awkward silence in which the two Jounin simply moved away from one another, Asuma then looked back at the Sannin who handed the man the money instinctively. He didn't know why he did it, he simply didn't want it on his hands any more. At least now he wouldn't have anything of value to steal.

"This is a lot of money. What were you doing?" Asuma asked.

"Odd jobs. Helped some guys work out a few problems on the more technical side, helped at a local restaurant and then some guy and his relationship problems." Orochimaru admitted, "but the guy who reimbursed me doubled what I originally earned."

"Hope you thanked this guy." Asuma said pocketing the money.

"Didn't get the chance, and besides if I had I wouldn't have accepted it." Orochimaru said honestly. The group looked at him curiously.

"I didn't want to owe anyone in this town anything. Let alone another Imperial or noble." The Sannin said.

"He can't track you." Asuma stated, "there isn't anything to worry about. For now let's look for where we can spend the night, book rooms at some motel, then spend the rest of the day gathering more money."

The group wandered the streets and asked some of the citizens for directions. By the time the group had found a motel they could afford it was already nightfall and Asuma stressed the dangers of the city at night. The ninja all decided rather to camp out early and wake up even earlier to start their days work of collecting money. Food wasn't their main agenda as much as safety due to the high crime rates in the NW faculty. The motel they were forced to stay at was no safer looking, many sketchy individuals passed through the halls and hung around the staircases. Most of which had some sort of smoke in their hand or mouth. As Deidara had suspected the men in the complex all passed looks at the two feminine ninja. It made the blond feel uneasy, it made the Sannin skeptical and it made the copy ninja enraged. Thankfully, nobody approached the ninja as they proceeded to their room. When they got to their dorm they noticed it was a three bedroom. Bed wise it consisted of a single and two doubles. It occurred to the serpent that his best friend wasn't keen on sharing, yet he did not feel safe alone.

"You and Kakashi can share a bed anytime." Deidara stressed, "I don't want to sleep alone in this place... But I'm not sharing with Hidan... Or Asuma that's for damn sure."

"In other words, you want to share a bed with me?" The Sannin asked blatantly.

"You're the only person I know well enough to not feel awkward. Just until I get to know the others better." Deidara said in attempts to reassure the snake that he wouldn't be deprived of the copy ninja for long.

"Alright, fine, why not." Orochimaru said, he doubted Kakashi would be thrilled, but if it was one thing he knew about his lover it was that the copy ninja was tolerant, and generally very laid back. He wouldn't resist the idea if it did no harm to anyone, besides, they would spend their days together, the nights shouldn't be too much of an issue. The Sannin explained his friends fears to Kakashi, who externally relayed how he had no problems with the idea, however internally he cursed the blond for his insecurity.

"I knew you'd understand." Orochimaru said sweetly. They all settled into their chosen spots and Asuma and Kakashi chose to share the last standing double bed, as Hidan hadn't seemed thrilled about either of them.

It worked out fine and the ninja were happily sitting around the small coffee table in the middle of the room. The night air turned out to be cold, perhaps they hadn't figured a way to regulate the domes temperature yet.

Deidara sat on one of the single seater couches, while Asuma and Hidan shared the double seater. Since there were no other couches Kakashi and Orochimaru sat together beneath the same blanket on the floor. The group spoke once more about things which didn't have any relevance, this time around Asuma partook in their talks of nonsense. It was a smooth running conversation, with little interruptions of social awkwardness. Orochimaru watched as his lover slowly got more tired as the night proceeded, he noticed most of the group excluding himself and Hidan seemed to be growing tired. Hidan and the serpent were the night owls of the group it appeared, the others seemed ready to go to sleep. Deidara, Asuma and Kakashi all got up to go to their rooms, exhaustion from the day finally over powering them. The copy ninja pecked his lover goodnight and told him to sleep well. Orochimaru reciprocated the gesture and watched as the three ninja all clambered into their rooms. Hidan looked over at the bright eyed Sannin, who evidently was far from ready to go to bed.

"Want to go get some fresh air?" Hidan asked.

"Certainly." Orochimaru replied getting to his feet. Both ninja clearly remembered Asuma's warning, but neither of them were the skittish types. Even after being attacked the day prior the Sannin automatically fell back into rogue mode. Of course the night streets were dangerous. But for a rogue, what time of day wasn't? Night time had become a place to hide, they had both grown used to the darkness and saw it as coverage for themselves rather than coverage for their enemies.

They silently shut the motel room behind them before locking it. Orochimaru only thought about telling Kakashi were he was moments too late, but he supposed it was for the best. The copy ninja was likely to worry about him. Hidan and the serpent trotted down the stairs, they passed many more shady individuals but none of them took notice of the ninja. Half of them were ninja themselves. They were finally called to, one stair case from the ground level. Orochimaru told Hidan to ignore them, but the immortal thought that it felt to cowardly to do such a thing. He turned to face the group of men.

"What?" He asked.

"Not you grey head." The one man said, "what's your friends name?"

"Grey head?" Hidan asked, he then realized he must have been referring to his hair colour, in which he preferred the description of silver rather than grey, as it wasn't a dulled colour at all.

"Yeah, what's your friends name?" Another man added.

"We were just passing." Orochimaru said, trying to get Hidan to move away with him.

"You smoke?" One man asked.

"No." Orochimaru said.

"Ah come on beautiful. You ever tried it?" The man asked.

"He doesn't partake in meaningless shit." Hidan defended.

"Shit guy, calm down will you. We aren't talking to you. You want to try it beautiful?" The man asked.

"No thank you, let's go Hidan." Orochimaru said, whispering the last part to the immortal. He looked down at the snake but he didn't move away from the men, pride still out won reason. And unlike the snake, Hidan was physically capable of holding his own anyhow, which gave him all the arrogance he needed to stand his ground. That factor irritated the Sannin more, not because Hidan was proudly holding his ground, but because due to physical stature, he could not do the same. His pride also screamed for him to tell the men off, to not worry about their clear ability to over power him. He could swallow his pride though, as he could sense that it would get him no where but in a hospital at best.

"You look scared, don't be scared." One man said, although it was more patronizing than anything else.

"Fuck off." Hidan spat, he knew the serpent was proud, but he also knew he wasn't in the position to defend that pride, so he defended it for the Sannin.

"We said we weren't talking to you." The first man snapped.

"We don't want anything from you, Hidan lets just go like we planned. We don't need to prove anything to them." Orochimaru hissed, his patience finally worn off.

"How's life like as a ninja?" One man laughed, "being scum of the earth and all?"

"We have no rights, what's your excuse for living in a shit hole?" Hidan spat back. The man seemed angered at the last comment and tossed his cigarette to a small ash tray on the windowsill. He took a step towards Hidan, who didn't falter in his confidence once.

"Watch your mouth ninja." The man said.

"Don't start a scruff if you can't finish it." Hidan replied. Orochimaru flashed irritable eyes between them, the last thing he needed was a fight outside their door. What was worse was the fact that those same men could follow them back to their room if they so chose. It wasn't a safe place to be put in, and the Sannin wanted out.

"Just leave them Hidan." Orochimaru snapped, this time he came to stand in front of the immortal, his slitted eyes warning the man of how serious he was with this final request, "I'm leaving."

He carried on down the hall, and half expected the sound of the others footsteps to follow him. Instead he heard the men upstairs muttering how the immortal had _pissed beautiful off._

He hissed to himself in irritation but in stubbornness carried on down the stairs regardless. He heard thumping upstairs, Hidan had clearly engaged the men. To be fair, the immortals natural ability to fight gave him the edge in the battle, he was used to using taijutsu against multiple opponents, and he had the physical stature to do damage when he struck back. Footsteps sounded down the hall even though the thumping from above did not stop. Orochimaru felt someone come awfully close and he turned to face the approaching figure to alert who ever it was that he was hardly unsuspecting.

"Hey." The man said, he was one of the males from the stairs. The serpent warned him to leave him be, but the male did no such thing. Instead, he grabbed the slim wrist of the ninja and dragged him up the stairs back to the incident. Hidan was absolutely scratch-less where as the other men seemed to be in pain. The immortal turned to see the man dragging the serpent up the stairs.

"Get out of here or your bitch gets it." The man snapped, Hidan paused to see the glint of metal at the Sannins throat. He knew he didn't have to worry about the snake however, the man was a fool to assume he had not been held at knife point before. The snake was too small to fight off the gang, but he was certainly skilled enough one on one. He would manipulate his knowledge of anatomy and make sure he snapped every bone on his way out of the intruders hold. The Sannin twisted himself out of the hostile grip, using the others weight and position against him, the sound of the mans wrist snapping filled the air. The thug recoiled as if he had touched a live wire and stammered backwards.

"Fuck these guys." One man said, the rest got to their feet and they moved away from the two ninja, the feminine one of the two now picking up the fallen knife. He spun it around in his hand and was tempted to lob it like a kunai at the man who had harshly pulled him to where he stood. He decided he would rather keep the weapon however.

"Yeah fuck off." Hidan retorted as they ran, he looked at the snake with a satisfied smile before his usual hyena like laugh exploded from his mouth, "nice, we got a free knife. We should go pick some fights and score a few more."

"No thank you." Orochimaru said dryly, "I just wanted some fresh air. Not more enemies."

"What are those guys going to do?" Hidan laughed.

"Bring a gun." Orochimaru warned, "NW citizens can acquire guns, ninja are banned from them."

"They must do what they want we can steal it off them again." Hidan said, "but yeah, let's get some air. You need to cool off."

They walked down the stairs and exited the building into the night air, which both ninja felt refreshed upon coming in to contact with. It turned out to be a pleasant first few minutes, where the two rogues found endless things to talk about. They were not paying attention to where they were headed exactly, but the journey was undisturbed. Hidan was large in stature, and perhaps his natural intimidation factor had thugs staying away. Orochimaru felt much more at ease knowing he had a knife. He could defend himself with now, the only real threat being a gun.

There was a sharp sound of animalistic whimpering and crying shattering the night air as they walked past an alleyway. Hidan glanced but didn't feel the need to stop, it wasn't a human bellowing, it was some kind of animal. On the contrary the Sannin was more inclined to pity natures beasts than he was to pity a human, in which he had far better experiences with animals rather than people. He headed to investigate and the immortal sighed behind him, but Hidan relinquished and followed the snake summoner down the dingy street.

"Now this is looking for trouble." Hidan said as they journeyed further into the alleyway.

"It's over there." Orochimaru said, he picked up his pace and eventually dropped down on one knee to kneel beside something. Hidan drew up at his side to see a mangy dog tied to a gutter pipe by what looked like barbed wire and rusty threads of steel. It was shaking in nervousness most likely, perhaps a bit of pain considering the metal had dug into its flesh when it had struggled to get free. The dogs tail wagged weakly, it's head lowered in submission, evidently trying to beg the arrivals not to harm it anymore.

"I wouldn't touch it if I were you." Hidan warned, "put it out of its misery, poor creature."

"I don't think it has any disease if that's what your worried about. And it's wounds are fresh, most certainly treatable." Orochimaru said, he took out the knife he had just recieved. Hidan expected him to slit it's throat and end the animal swiftly, but he made his way around the wire and cut it off. The dog wriggled but the Sannin offered reassurance and it listened attentively, more confused than understanding however. Finally the dog was free and it limped a few steps forwards but then gave up and looked from its wounded front paw to the two ninja.

"Good job." Orochimaru praised as the dog tried again, he pet it on the head lightly. Perhaps the dog had won his sympathy, or perhaps the dog reminded him of home, which in turn evoked dormant memories of better times. Either way, the Sannin was set on helping the stray creature.

"It can't walk." Hidan stated.

"You can carry it." Orochimaru offered.

"How generous of me..." Hidan muttered.

"It will die if untreated. Just take it to the room for me. That's all, Kakashi will help me from there." Orochimaru said, he would have carried it himself, but the dog was not small. It was slightly taller than medium, and possibly a rather bulky breed if not for its unhealthily malnutrition.

"Yeah fine." Hidan said half heartedly, the dog seemed to relax in the mans hold when he picked it up. Their walk was cut short and they were forced to go straight back to the motel. There was a no-pet policy, but that didn't stop the two ninja from sneaking the new member into the room. Orochimaru made his way to the man at the desk and put on his sweetest facade. He spoke to the man as he elegantly brushed hair out of his face, the male was distracted by the impish ninja before him. He most certainly didn't get much attention given his lowly job and shady appearance. Hidan easily got passed the man and up the first stair case. As soon as he was up, the Sannin diverted from the conversation and wished the man a goodnight. The man was more than friendly to the Sannin after their talk however, and the ninja wondered if perhaps next time the man wouldn't even mind them breaking the rules.

Either way didn't matter, the dog was up the stairs and into their room.

"Where am I putting him?" Hidan asked, they had finally figured out the dogs gender.

"Couch, I need to treat some of the worse wounds." Orochimaru said.

"With what?" Hidan asked.

Orochimaru slipped out his pocket knife and ran the blade down his arm. It left a deep and messy scratch which dripped of crimson blood. Hidan watched in amusement.

"Masochist." Hidan joked, the Sannins golden eyes landed on him for a second, but upon deciding he didn't fancy the joke he didn't respond.

"I'm going to ask for a first aid kit downstairs." Orochimaru said, "wait here."

Hidan sighed wondering what made the serpent think of such a strange plan. To be fair, the immortal wasn't one to judge another in such terms, after all his entire jutsu required self inflicted pain. The Sannin reached the man at the desk who seemed pleased to see his return. Orochimaru asked for the kit and the man blindly handed it over, he then watched the serpents retreating back as he trotted up the hall to his room. Once inside again he immediately used all the bandages and disinfectant to clean and patch up the dogs more severe wounds. The hound was tired from fighting its confines, the serpent wondered which twisted NWs had found pleasure in harming the creature with no gain.

Once bandaged Hidan moved the dog into the Sannins bed, where Deidara was already asleep. The snake summoner had run a wet piece of cloth over the dog to clean it of most of the street dirt.

"Thanks." Orochimaru said, aiding the dog into a comfortable position. Hidan nodded and went back to his own room, in which he happily fell asleep in his bed.

Orochimaru stayed in his bed with Deidara and his new found companion. The latter of which was evidently grateful for the help, it's head laying on the Sannin as if it had already decided he was its new friend. The blond remained asleep somehow, even with the added member. It finally made sense why Deidara had wanted to sleep near someone, it appeared the blond could sleep through the sound of a train running past.

Authors note- chapter two is done and dusted! Hope you enjoyed it 3 please leave a review on your thoughts! Huge thanks to those who do! ~Hourglass8


	3. Behind Bars

_"_ _Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn't change the heart of others. It only changes yours_ _."_

Deidara awoke the next morning to find something he hadn't expected to see. Orochimaru was already awake, sitting on the edge of his bed brushing his fingers through his hair. What was abnormal was the creature sitting beside him on the floor, watching his every movement curiously. The blond ninja sat up to get a better view of the bandaged dog, which looked at him and growled softly in warning. Orochimaru looked behind him to see what had unsettled his friend before placing a hand of reassurance on to its head.

"None of that." He muttered to the dog, reminding it that it had no right to ward off people the Sannin wanted in his space. The canine looked back at the blond ninja and wagged his tail apologetically, which earned him a few small words of praise.

"Um... am I allowed to ask..." Deidara said as he slipped out of his sheets to come to greet the dog, the latter of which allowed the gesture before trying to lick the new ninja in a submissive manner.

"Found him last night. He was hurt so we brought him back." Orochimaru said.

"We?" Deidara asked.

"Hidan and I." Orochimaru said.

"Last night?" Deidara asked.

"We went for a walk, and ended up finding him." Orochimaru stated, he then returned to ridding his black hair of knots and tangles.

Deidara decided to do the same and by the time the both of them were done they headed out of their room into the living area. The only other ninja awake being Kakashi, who greeted them both before his eyes fell to the hound which seemed stuck to his lovers side.

"Who is this?" Kakashi asked dropping to one knee to coax the dog over, the animal did no such thing and simply looked at him skeptically. It was now timid, as past abuses had lead the creature to believe that man was out to harm it. The Sannin could relate.

"A new friend." Orochimaru said with a small smile, "he was tied to a pipe half beaten to death."

"When did you find him?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Last night, Hidan and I went to get some air. Ended up hearing his cries." Orochimaru replied before glancing at the hound.

"Does he have a name?" Kakashi asked.

"Tsukiko." Orochimaru replied.

Kakashi thought the name over, _moon_ , or more specifically, _moon child_. The name must have been derived from where the Sannin found the animal, under the moon on the very night he was simply going out for a walk.

Kakashi wanted to politely pet the dog but he could sense it's nerves and decided he would wait for the creature to come to him first. That way there was no way Tsukiko could mistake his intentions and become paranoid. Clearly the animal had no fears regrading the snake, his spindly form pinned to his leg. The dogs ribs were showing greatly and its face and legs were drawn. It over all looked to be in terrible condition, it's fur surprisingly clean minus the bandages. The Sannin must have bathed the creature before allowing it into his bed.

Orochimaru sat down on the couch, the dog limped over and struggled to get onto the other seat. Upon seeing its desperation to be as close as possible, the Sannin slumped down onto the floor beside it. Tsukiko wagged his tail happily and lay down beside him, his previous battles haven made him tired. Orochimaru stroked his bristly head before looking at Kakashi.

"I need to get him food." Orochimaru admitted.

"Yeah we all need food actually." Deidara interrupted.

"I'll get what ever is left from Asuma." Kakashi offered, "he booked us into this motel for three nights. After that we need more money to pay for our residence."

"I rate we stay in this city, living in this motel and work a proper job or something." Deidara said, "we save up, then we hit the streets and live off our savings. Taking odd jobs if and when they present themselves."

"Agreed, we won't survive off odd jobs in the long run." Orochimaru said. Kakashi emerged from the bedroom with the last of the money.

"Why don't you two go find food, I'll tell the rest of our plans and situation when they wake up." Kakashi offered. He knew his lover was picky, and would want to select what his dog received as nourishment after being starved. Orochimaru nodded and got up, he told the dog to stay where it was, and he did so. Tsukiko watched the Sannin leave with longing eyes, but ultimately he knew he wasn't fit to follow him for the meanwhile. The dog seemed to know his new friend would come back for him.

The blond didn't seem as street paranoid for once and walked out the motel room with the snake. Little did he know the Sannin had equipped himself with a knife for good measure anyway. Not that it would help in a group fight, but if an individual or two jumped them they stood a chance.

They trotted out the motel and the man at the desk called out to the black haired ninja, telling him to stay safe. Orochimaru smiled politely, but didn't make much effort to talk to him, he didn't want the man to get the wrong idea. He didn't want much to do with the man really. The two feminine ninja chatted as they walked towards a shop they had seen earlier, being rather small in stature, they naturally kept a good eye on their environment. No one was allowed to walk too close to them, no one was allowed to linger around for to long. They entered the store and browsed the isles deciding what they could get. They needed food which would last long and cover all their members hungry stomachs. Once settled on what the group could eat for that day, they looked for what the dog may have wanted. It was a corner store, and stocks were not of much variety. So they settled on standard dog food and headed to the cashier. The man eyed them and took a moment to return to work. In an even bigger mockery, an NW citizen pushed past the two ninja half knocking them over as he took the liberty of being first in line despite haven arrived after them. Deidara passed angered blue eyes over at the snake, expecting to be met with the same annoyance. He had thought the snake could see just how much bigger the man was than them. However the serpent had been picked on enough for his short stay at the NW city.

"Are you blind or just simply that rude."Orochimaru snapped, his golden eyes meeting the mans dull ones with feisty rage.

"How about I just don't give a crap about ninja." The man spat in his rough voice.

"So you think you have the rights over us because you were born in this city?" The snake hissed.

"Exactly." The man said putting his things down on the table.

"I'm not having this." The Sannin said, although the situation called for him to back down, he did no such thing. He pushed the mans things to the side and placed his and the blond ninjas down on the counter. The man behind the counter seemed shocked, and slightly amused. The larger man looked down at the ninja with enraged and confused eyes.

"Fuck are you-" the man was cut off.

"Doing? I'm taking my life into my own hands because other wise you bastards will walk all over us." The snake said.

His eyes held so much confidence and anger that it threatened the man off. Much like when man moves aside for the small viper on the path, knowing that although he may be the bigger of the two, sometimes size was not what matters came down to.

The man at the desk did a swift job of ringing up the items and packaging them. He took the money with caution, seemingly equally as aware that the snake was now readied to bite. Orochimaru thanked the man, his voice holding little air of politeness, and Deidara followed him out looking back some what worriedly.

"Wow." Deidara said as they exited, the large man exchanged some words with the cashier but then left the store hurriedly. The awkwardness of being shot down by the smaller and less superior person obviously haven rattled him.

"If it's one thing I've learnt it's that we can't be passive in this place." Orochimaru said, "Odds are if the guy is going to hit you he is going to hit you. Might as well put up a front of being in the lead. We won't win this sitting down."

"That fake confidence thing only works with you." Deidara said, "must be your eyes or something. I don't think many people have the guts to challenge your stare."

"It has nothing to do with physical appearance." Orochimaru muttered, "it's the presence you give off that makes a difference. I've had these eyes all my life, the only time people backed off was when I had finally decided I'd had enough. My eyes never changed, my mind set did."

Slitted eyes masked behind an unnatural yet brilliant gold certainly unnerved people upon first site, enchanted them upon second glances and perhaps scared them the third time around. Either way, wether man feared their reflection in the slitted frames or wether they marveled in it made no difference. The shape, the colour nor the resemblance to a snake or perhaps even a cat made his stare intense. It had little to do with what he was, but more who he was. His naturally different complexion had many wondering and questioning his humanity, yet still, he did not care.

He demanded respect because if he did not, he had learned people would strip him of it. He would not be made a fool of again, he would not be taken advantage of, or stepped on as if he were nothing but the dirt beneath another's boot. He may never be what he pretended to be, he may never live up to the rank of superiority he masked under, but he would put on a flawless act. And with that facade he would trick the world into believing he was, and with that, he would never be walked on or kicked down again.

"I suppose. But I just don't have it in me." Deidara said, "I'd have just thrown a fit."

"Then throw a fit." Orochimaru said, "rather that than remain silent."

"Hmm, not sure I want to take the risk of getting punched by someone three times my size." Deidara admitted.

"Play the game however you want. But you don't stand to win it if you sit around waiting for someone to help you." Orochimaru said, they arrived at the motel and the man at the desk offered to carry the two ninjas bags. They declined politely and hurried up the stairs. Orochimaru regretted not sneaking the dog in another way. It appeared the man was unwilling to give up on their friendship. They entered the motel room to find Hidan and Asuma awake and sitting on the couches seemingly waiting for the two ninja to return. Kakashi sat with his lovers dog, the canine seeming to trust the copy ninja during the snakes absence. Orochimaru handed the human food to Deidara and made his way to Tsukiko with the dog food. He opened up the meaty dish and placed it on a bowl, which had been placed there for humans rather than animals. The dog sniffed it then gratefully lunged into the bowl clearing it of all contents in seconds.

Tsukiko looked up wide eyed begging for more, but the Sannin knew how creatures bodies worked. A starved individual could be harmed if given to much food when they were being nursed back to health, as their bodies were not strong enough to handle as much. He pet the dog and offered it water after rinsing out the food scraps. Tsukiko didn't seem fazed that the rest of the food was not being given to him, he was equally as grateful to receive some water. Kakashi stared at the dog as he lapped up the water, some of it dripping down the sides of his panting mouth. He seemed to have made himself at home, and Orochimaru noticed that Kakashi had cleaned up the bandages and tended to the wounds once more. Tsukiko wagged his tail clumsily as he waddled back to the couch to lay down beside it. Kakashi placed a hand around his lovers waist and they headed over to the other ninja. He was possibly the only man allowed to make such blatant physical contact, anyone else would have been stricken down by the serpent. Deidara seemed dissatisfied with the food, as it was far from what he was used to. Hidan and Orochimaru seemed to go back to their old rogue days easily and found what ever food was going around to be acceptable, where as Kakashi and Asuma simply were not picky eaters in general.

Tsukiko eyed them from across the room. There was suddenly a loud screech followed by mad laughter. Who ever was shrieking was doing it out of excitement rather than fear. The ninja turned to look at the door to assess what was happening in the hallway beyond their room. The laughter continued until something slammed against their door. Then a few loud knocks boomed onto it, the laughter and murmuring behind the door still seemingly strange. Tsukiko growled and barked, his bark loud and deep, almost as if the large lungs did not belong to the thin hound. Tsukiko continued to boom his warning when Orochimaru settled him.

"It's fine Tsukiko." He said as he swooped over to the door, his black hair following his graceful movement as he swung open the door. There were two men by the door, a third a little way down. They were dressed oddly, as if they were trying to pose as vampires or ghouls. One of the men, the only one still laughing at something thrust a pamphlet into the snakes hand.

"Happy Halloween." He said, he then looked at the dog in slight confusion, but he didn't question it. He left to bash on the next door opposite the ninjas motel room.

"Thanks." Orochimaru said wearily to his rushing off back. The Sannin closed their door and clicked the lock shut again before scanning the pamphlet over with his lurid eyes, he placed it into his partners hands seeing his curiosity.

"It's some Halloween event." Orochimaru said.

"That sounds fun." Deidara said leaning over the copy ninjas shoulder to read it, "it's free entry."

"It's a fundraiser." Orochimaru said, "they want who ever comes to donate, or spend money on the food at the event."

"Operative word being _want_. Doesn't mean we have to buy anything." Hidan said, "there's a haunted house."

"What does that have to do with stopping the NWs?" Asuma asked.

"It's fun, and it'll keep us sane enough to actually pull this off." Deidara tried, "come on, we will work all day, then go and check it out. It can't do any harm."

"You lot enjoy it. If I work I'll be going to sleep at a reasonable hour." Asuma stated.

"You interested?" Kakashi asked the bright eyed male beside him.

"I think it could be fun." Orochimaru said with a playful smile.

"Well let's get a start to our day then, we need proper jobs." Asuma said, "as you said, we might as well save up before heading out."

"Yeah alright." Hidan muttered irritably, the ninja decided to head to the town to locate jobs for the their time in the motel. They hardly would be able to acquire high paying jobs, as they didn't have any qualifications. It would mean taking lowly jobs, and even then, as ninja, they were unlikely to pay much. The group headed out onto the streets, for the meanwhile, Orochimaru left Tsukiko in the motel room, as he was still plagued by a minor limp. Compared to the first night the dogs leg had healed considerably, all the rest doing it well. Since Tsukiko was a dog rather than a puppy, he had no issues with being alone for a few hours and happily slept in his recovery hours.

The streets were all bustling with excitement as the NW citizens got excited for Halloween. The energy seemed to effect the blond ninja as well who exclaimed how fun the evening would be, Asuma was the only one who did not agree. They decided to walk their separate ways again, and despite the copy ninjas disagreement, the Sannin stated he wished to go alone. He felt safer with his own weapon, even though it would probably be futile against a gang.

Kakashi allowed his lover his independence knowing full well that the snake hated being looked down upon, or worse, confined. The serpent parted from the silver haired ninjas hold and left him to find his own career for their time in the city. It would prove to be an easy search for the snake however. It didn't take long before an advertisement caught his eye. Cars buzzed around the area but he didn't have any issues crossing the busy roads despite not knowing how road rules actually worked. He ended up by the dirty looking board under a larger sign saying gas station. Having no clue of what a station was he noticed a small store and entered it after recognizing the name. He wasn't being picky when it came to jobs, and since none of the ninja had qualifications needed for anything other than being elite ninja, working behind a cashier or serving tables was their only option. Degrading, but for some reason, the snakes pride didn't take much of a knock. He moved to the woman standing by the desk and she looked up at him with startled eyes.

"Orochimaru." She said, the Sannin did not recognize the woman. She was a ninja noticeably, but that was all he knew. He greeted her, then awaited an introduction. She smiled nervously, perhaps still thinking of his former self. The less tolerant version of himself he had been before the last NW invasion, before he met the copy ninja.

"We have never met." She said, "I'd recognize

one of the Legendary Sannin anywhere though."

"A title I can't say earns you much out here." Orochimaru said, "is the manager around?"

"He is having a smoke out at the back, are you here for the job?" She asked, the Sannin nodded, although he finally realized that the job being offered was the woman's job.

"Are you quitting?" He asked.

"Yes, but for personal reasons. The pay isn't bad, not considering ninja aren't allowed to work in bigger companies." She said, her eyes dropping when she said the word _personal_.

He didn't push to find out what those reasons were, he respected another's privacy with out hesitation. She disappeared behind the corner and emerged with a man a head taller than the serpent, an average build and with calm eyes.

"Hey." He said extending a hand, Orochimaru was cautious in returning the gesture but he shook the NWs hand wearily. The man laughed lightly, his eyes didn't make the Sannin feel uncertain. If anything, he seemed to meet the snakes cold calculated ones with an air of acceptance.

"You looking for a job I'm guessing? Ninja do not get offered much work in these parts." The man said dimly, "before we get off on the wrong foot, I'm not one of those supremacist jerks, I know ninja are human, let's put that out on the air."

Orochimaru found some comfort in the words, or at least, he finally saw the other man as an actual man, rather than a threat. He could tell by the mans eyes that he was being genuine, that the inequality bugged him enough to verbally announce he was an advocate of treating every member around with respect.

"This job doesn't require any qualifications, you just ring up what the customers want and take their money." The man laughed, " but- if Hiari hasn't said so already. It can get dangerous here at night, some days you will work in the day time, other days you take the night shift. I have other employees working what ever shift you don't."

The prospect of danger didn't scare the ninja off, his years of being a Shinobi haven trained him to not so much as flinch when it was mentioned as a part of the job. If anything, the Sannin figured it would make the days more fun.

"I know how to handle myself if thats in the job description." The Sannin said, the man smiled at his courage. He could see the confidence in the lurid eyes looking into his own hazy blue ones.

"Well, since I prefer hiring ninja to the people of this city. I guess you're hired." He said, "you can start work next week Monday."

He didn't need to tell the Sannin his salary apparently. Clearly ninja simply accepted what ever was thrown at them, which only made sense, as it was scarce finding a job. Most NW did not hire ninja simply because they saw them as inferior. And other than that, they often did not pay them the right amounts. Orochimaru thanked him, wondering how come he ended up with such luck in terms of jobs.

He hadn't needed to travel far before stumbling into exactly what he needed. Night shifts didn't bother him, he hardly needed much sleep being accustomed to base hopping in his past. The man handed him a card with a number on it, which the Sannin accepted. Still, he had no idea what use he would have with it. After all he didn't know how to work a phone let alone have one of his own. He decided to spend the rest of his day looking for odd jobs, as there was no point wasting the morning.

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Kakashi walked the streets until his legs began to hurt and his patience started to wear thin. He found no hint of a job opening, all he encountered was many unhappy and unhelpful faces. All of which looked down at him with disregard and arrogance, the NW city was hardly filled with a majority of kind people but rather a very quiet minority of it. Someone would approach him then realize he was a ninja and instantly command he leave them. He didn't argue or cause a fuss as he knew his beloved would have, but instead apologized half heartedly and moved away despite being in the right. He could once again hear his lovers words: _don't take that from them!_

Of course the copy ninja would shove those words aside as he knew his partner was out of sight and that he was unable to demand he needlessly stand up for himself.

Kakashi neared a small shop selling what appeared to be pet equipment and smaller animals. It had a small job offering sign on the door and he instantly approached it. He then read the fine print which clearly instructed all ninja to enter the shop through the back door rather than the front one. The copy ninja rolled his eyes but complied easily as he made his way around the shop simply to enter the same building anyway. A shortish man with a scowl on his face looked at the ninja approach, but he seemed to soften when he met Kakashi's passive eyes.

"You're here for the job offer?" The man asked.

"Yes." Kakashi replied calmly, despite having had a rather bad day his usual calm demeanor did not fail him. It rarely did.

"I've had other more desperate ninja enter this place looking for work. They all fled because of their fears of certain animals." The man said brashly, "So before you waste my time like your kind tends to do, are you afraid of any of the animals you see in here? Because it's in the job description to handle them and clean their tanks and cages when need be."

Kakashi scanned the room to see which animals were present, none of them seemed frightening to him as he had been forced to encounter most creatures as a Jounin.

"No." Kakashi said honestly, "I have no fears of any of the animals."

"You sure about that?" The man said untrustingly, "what about the snakes?"

Kakashi refrained from laughing, in all honesty there was a time the serpents sent a shiver up his spine. But those fears had completely vanished when he became involved with the Sannin. If anything, he was almost in the same mind set as his lover, he could see their beauty and he had learnt that fearing them created tension, and that same tension would be the only thing which would trigger the snake to attack. Orochimaru was fond of his pets, and he would often place a serpent of great magnitude on his partners lap.

" _Isn't he lovely Kakashi_?" Or " _you'll like her, she is so calm_."

Was phrases he often heard from the Sannin, despite the initial discomfort of having the predator coiled around him Kakashi always smiled politely and agreed with his lover. It was always worth it, a light would ignite in the golden eyes watching him matched by a pleased smile, and then upon reading in between the lines Orochimaru would laugh in his usual charming manner and remove the snake remarking back impishly, " _nervous my love_?"

Naturally, the copy ninja would deny it, despite knowing full well that his lover had a way of reading people, much like his summonings who seemed to find the copy ninjas mild fear amusing. They would purposefully coil a little to tight and then slip away back to their owners hands. In which they would transform into the lightest and most gentle creatures he had ever seen.

After a longer time spent with his lover and his pets, the snakes had become a normal creature to encounter. If one happened to find its way into a place it was not allowed to be in, as snakes had a way of getting where they were unwelcome, Kakashi would simply with out hesitation scoop it up and place it else where.

The first time it took him about two hours to handle the snake, and even then it had only been possible as Orochimaru had entered the room and seen his utter useless attempts. The Sannin then laughed and showed the white haired ninja how to properly support the creature, so that it didn't become nervous or angry. After that first failure the copy ninja managed every other encounter with as much grace as his lover. He could easily move the serpent even when it hissed in warning. Some where along the line he learnt the difference between the sounds of the snakes. Which hiss meant a simple objection versus the hiss which signaled the creature was willing to bite. Only once had a snake struck at him, but being a Jounin Kakashi had moved out the way in time. Orochimaru had reprimanded the snake as one might a dog and the serpent seemed as guilty as one.

"I'm very used to handling snakes." Kakashi replied, "I won't have a problem with any of the animals."

"We have other exotics, what about birds. You're not scared of birds are you?" The man asked.

"Not at all." Kakashi repeated.

"Fine. I want to see you handle some of the animals. If you do well, you've got the job starting next week." The man said. He then proceeded to one of the animals cages and picked up a scattering rat which peered across nervously. Kakashi was ready to take the rodent away from the man as he saw how carelessly the man handled it. The rat seemed calmer in the ninjas hands but it still managed to move around and squirm. It didn't put up to much resistance and the rodent eventually fell pray to its natural curiosity as it looked around the room from the mans arms. The man requested Kakashi return the rat to its cage and the ninja complied. He was then moved to the exotic pets where his eyes landed on a cream snake. This time the man didn't retrieve the snake but told Kakashi to.

A memory flashed past the copy ninjas mind of him and his lover back home. When he had decided to move one of the Sannin's pets only to hear the black haired males concerned voice.

" _Don't touch him if you smell of meat_." Orochimaru had stressed, " _snakes rely heavily on their senses, and the scent of a small animal considered food may deceive them. They don't wish to bite you, but they may mistake you for something else_."

Kakashi recalled the rat he had just handled.

"I smell of rat, can I not wash my hands first to avoid any misunderstandings." He asked the owner. The man smiled and nodded.

"No, leave it. That was a test." He stated before making his way to the desk at the end of the room. He got hold of a badge and card before handing it to the copy ninja, "work starts next week."

"Thank you." Kakashi said to the mans retreating back. He was hurried out the store as the man rambled about having places to be as the store was closed temporarily. The copy ninja had no complaints.

He glanced back at the serpent in its tank and the snake flicked its tongue out calmly, seemingly making eye contact with the copy ninja. He stared at its emerald eyes for mere moments before the shop was closed and locked. He had a sudden feeling of separation anxiety. Almost as if he needed his partner there with him, perhaps it was due to the blast of nostalgia. The memories of their old home, their old routines and their old conversations. The ones that held no urgency to be spoken and came naturally. He had never seen his lover so tranquil and happy, he and never seen him smile with a genuine happiness, instead of a smirk. It was all far more appealing a life than being on the run, than worrying about where they would sleep, what they would eat and wether or not they may or may not be killed. Being a ninja had taught him that the thrill of missions was not quite as appealing as stories made them sound. Sitting on the couch beside his lover feeling his small amount of body heat tucked into his was far more worth it. They were both elites however, and they had chosen to place themselves in the lime light. As much as a more simple life called to the copy ninja, he knew he and his lover would always be called upon when something foreboding stepped forwards.

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This time around, the Sannin was not having much luck finding anyone in need. NW citizens pushed and shoved him out the way as he minded his own business. He hissed in annoyance but didn't put up much of a fuss as he saw guards watching him wearily. Suddenly he felt someone sharply tug on his long jet black hair, he winced at the mild pain and turned around to glare at the person who dared, to find it was a child. The child seemed troubled, and nervous of the area, no older than six years old. He was a ninja, as his small frail wrists indicated he had been branded by the black mark. The snakes eyes softened when they met the frightened child and he turned to fully face him before ducking down onto one knee to address him more easily.

"Do you need help?" He asked the ninja, the child seemed to be more comfortable now that he could see the Sannin was less angry about his hair being tugged on. Perhaps the child had attempted to call him in a nice way but the serpent had not heard, either way the boy was happy to finally get the chance to speak with the higher leveled ninja.

"I'm lost." He said uneasily, "and mom says that I mustn't talk to the NW's, they don't care about ninja and- you're one of the Sannin right? Which means you help people all the time, so you know how to find my mom."

The blur of words were slightly improper sounding coming from the boys mouth, he slurred some of his words, and left others half finished. Regardless, it was easy to tell the child had spotted the Legendary ninja and recalled hearing about the great stories told of him and his team. He had clearly missed the part of the Sannins departure from his village and betrayal, but such was what children did. They heard what it was they wanted to hear and nothing more. All the boy cared about now was finding his mother when he was lost in a city of men who wanted to kill him, and once he spotted a hero from a war time he had evidently convinced himself he was safe. The Sannin had no idea where to start as he had no jutsu to use as tracking devices. He had as much luck as any other ninja for that matter, ranking from Genin to Kage. He couldn't bare to shatter the childs reassurance and he smiled before rising.

"Of course, how does she look?" Orochimaru said.

"Like me, but taller." The boy said unhelpfully.

"Brown hair, brown eyes." Orochimaru assessed for what he could, "long or short hair?"

"Long... But not as long as yours, so short." The boy said trying his best to make sense of his own information. Orochimaru refrained from chuckling.

"Alright, and when last did you see her?" He asked.

"A little while ago, we were in a shop and she asked me to wait for her." The boy stammered, "but then I ran off because I wanted to catch something I saw, but I can't find the shop."

Orochimaru did not bother ask what the boy had run off to catch, children were often adventurous, chasing things that had little value or point. He nodded as he requested his next answer.

"What was the shop selling?" The Sannin asked.

"Boring things." The child answered easily. Orochimaru asked him to be more specific.

"Books." The child said.

"Alright, well let's find the nearest book store then." The serpent said, he walked a few steps and glanced back to make sure the child was following. The boy was too scared to ask strangers for directions, and it made sense as the citizens were hostile to any ninja. The Sannin however, had no issues breaking the city people out of their day to day zoned out states and asked the nearest man to him where he could find a book store close by. The man was irritated, but when he met the snakes eyes he decided for some reason to simply answer rather than try and start arguing with the intimidating slitted frames. He gestured down a street and told him to make two lefts. The Sannin thanked him with a polite yet obviously fake smile, it was not a friendly exchange as it so easily could have been, but it had gotten the snake the information he needed.

He lead the boy down the streets he was told to go down and soon they ended up by a bookstore which seemed promising. The Sannin went to the door and opened it for the child who trotted in eagerly exclaiming how this was the shop, but his face dropped when he could not locate his mother in the few isles. Orochimaru told him not to worry and went to the women at the desk, she looked up and greeted the male.

"This boy's mother was in this shop a few moments ago, do you know where she went?" He asked.

"She left, and then came back in looking for her child actually." The women stated, "seemed awfully worried, but I didn't ask her where she would search next sorry."

Orochimaru thanked her for her help and left the store to see a small restaurant beside it. He made his way to a couple at the table closest, they had empty plates of food giving off the impression that they had been there long. Which lead the Sannin to believe they may have seen the incident themselves. They seemed agitated at the interruption and the man at the table barked his annoyance.

The child hid behind the Sannin and looked up at him for more reassurance upon noting that they were talking to NW citizens. Once again the snake showed no signs of being nervous or even annoyed at the greeting.

"This boy lost his mother, did you see a brunette women pass here looking for someone?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yeah I did, but it's not my job to help irresponsible ninja." The man snapped.

"Perhaps not, but it is not this boys fault for being split from his parent. If not for the sake of the mother at least inform us of which way we should go for the boy." Orochimaru said again, the man seemed irritated at the small guilt trip and looked at the frightened child before flicking a cloth at the boy who retreated a step still clutching onto the snakes clothes.

"No, get out of here." The man said, the women at the table seemed uneasy. Orochimaru decided not to bother with the man, who was far to quick to ignore the scared boy, he faced the women.

"Will you tell us which way she went?" He asked. He knew not to try and be intimidating to get the women to answer, so instead he allowed his lurid eyes to soften slightly and worked on guilt tripping her maternal side.

"She went that way, I think she entered that store actually. Haven't seen her leave yet either." The women said, the man told her she should have remained quiet.

"Thank you." Orochimaru said to the women, he ignored the man when he tried to snap some remark at him, he made a point of not even making eye contact. Even when the man barked he look at him the snake turned his attention to the boy and requested he follow. They entered the store and the boys eyes snapped up at a tall brunette woman who looked startled as she spoke to a man behind a cashier. Clothes lined the isles and the boy tore through them all to hug his mothers legs. She jumped in fright but then swiped tears from her eyes as she had evidently been crying in her panicked search for her only child, and possibly only family member. The Sannin hung by the door for a moment but he didn't wait for thanks or acknowledgment. Possibly the worst part of a mission for him was the person he had helped giving him praise. He didn't like praise, not because he couldn't appreciate their gratitude but because he never truly felt he was worthy of such things, he had done what needed doing, there was nothing more to it. He wasn't owed anything. He slipped out the store and could hear the boy blasting about how he had been guided by one of the Sannin. The mother asked which one and the boy couldn't quite reply with a name, but instead went on to describe him as, _the pretty golden eyed one_. The mother hugged her son and asked if he had thanked the snake summoner, to which the boy said he didn't get the chance.

That was all the Sannin could hear before they fell out of ear shot anyhow. When he was a few steps down the street he heard a man yell for him to stop.

"That's him!"

"He didn't do anything!" A woman said. The snake Sannin turned to see three cops approaching him, while the couple he had just disturbed stood by a van with a NW marking on it. Orochimaru halted when the officer commanded him to, they had guns and it made the snake feel uneasy as they were aimed right at him.

"No sudden moves ninja, come with us." One man ordered.

"What have I done?" The Sannin asked as calmly as he could.

"This gentlemen has rights to believe you threatened him and his wife for information." The man replied, "now get into the vehicle."

"Get into the what?" The Sannin asked unfamiliar with most of the terms still, he figured it out after they cuffed his hands and shoved him into the van just after pinning him to the vehicle and disarming him of his blade. He hissed as his head knocked the top of the car as they roughly handled him.

He cursed lightly under his breath, what would happen if they found out his mark was a fake? It would be a disaster, he would be imprisoned all over again, or worse, killed. He covered his hands with his long sleeves and waited for the cops to start the car. The women glared at her husband who ignored her cold looks and stared at the Sannin through the window.

The snake wanted to show the man the true meaning of a threat, but failed to see how that would help his case. He had no idea what his rights were at that time either, but he guessed he didn't have many to work with anyhow. The van roared to life and ventured down the street taking many tight corners at rather high speeds. The Sannin was unfamiliar with the motion of a car and every pull off or sped up motion had his stomach twist. He allowed his golden eyes to scan the area as they drove, to ensure he knew the route home dare he have to escape once more.

"Where am I going?" The snake asked.

"Luckily for you, just to a holding cell for a couple of nights. Then we will decide what community service to give you." The man said.

"Do I not get to defend myself?" The serpent asked.

"No." The man said abruptly.

"How many days must I be locked up for?" He asked nervously, he couldn't imagine their prisons being a place he wished to visit.

"A night or two." The man driving answered, "don't panic him you asshole."

His last statement was aimed at the officer who had originally spoken to the snake, evidently noting the Sannin had become anxious.

"Why do I not get to defend myself? I didn't threaten anybody." Orochimaru argued. The driver sighed, he was the more sympathetic of the three cops.

"I can't imagine someone like you threatening anybody to be honest." The man said, the cop sitting in the passenger seat elbowed him harshly.

"Stop siding with the fucking ninja." He said.

"Yeah, besides, I got a knife off of him." The cop sitting beside the Sannin added.

"In these streets? Who doesn't have a knife on them." The cop driving said, "and besides that, I was just saying this is another person using their privileges to make a point. This ninja didn't do shit, doesn't mean I'm going to let him off with out any proper means of discipline. But I'm just saying, don't be harsh on the guy."

The other cops ignored him after that comment and the drive to the station was an awkward one. Orochimaru looked out the window hoping this hadn't just ruined his chances of keeping his new found job. It would set him back days if it did, the job at the gas station had been pure luck. The odds of a ninja finding work a second time was near to nothing. They pulled to a stop and the man pushed him towards the door before exiting. Once again his fragile form was shoved and pulled in all directions and he could feel his muscles tense when ever someone neared him. He was eventually released into a small cell consisting of two other men, both of which NW citizens with tattooed arms and shoulders. They looked at the ninja curiously, the one was slightly scrawny, but still bigger in build in comparison to the Sannin. The other could have easily been bigger than the other two combined. Orochimaru kept his concerns to himself and allowed his usual calm and reassured look to surface. He went to the bars of the holding cell to peer out at the men shuffling around in their matching uniforms. The serpent wanted to know his rights as he wasn't updated on them due to escaping rather than agreeing to the conditions of the proposal.

"Do I not get to inform anyone of where I am?" Orochimaru asked, realizing Kakashi would likely be worried sick. A cop sitting at a desk drinking something hot looked over at him and nodded.

"Yeah princess you do." He said coming to the gate.

The Sannin hadn't expected to get his way in the cell and watched as he was removed from the cage and taken to a weird object, he had seen men use it before.

"You have one call, after that the phone is off limits." The man said, "you can also call for bail."

Orochimaru nodded and unhooked the phone, he then noticed the weird buttons and odd shaped device before him. He didn't want to look inexperienced in front of the NW citizens, he hated looking as if he needed help. However he had no idea how to work the phone, and besides that, who could he call? He had two numbers in his pocket, one was his boss who he dared not call. He couldn't think of anything worse than calling his new boss asking for help out of prison on day one. Then he had the number of the stranger who had given him money as compensation. He hardly wanted to owe the man anything more than he already did, but his group did not have phones or numbers to call.

He mentally fought with himself until one of the cops laughed lightly.

"It's not the biggest decision in your life princess. Just make the call to your closest known friend and be done with it." The man said. Orochimaru ignored him before deciding he would be forced to request the mans help. He entered the numbers as he guessed that would be what he would need to do to start the process, then he halted once they were in. The cops watched him.

"The green button." One called, "click the green button and put the phone to your ear. God you ninja are hopeless at technology."

"No shit man, they didn't have technology." The officer who had defended the snake earlier said.

Orochimaru hit the green button and lifted the odd piece of metal to his ear, it was odd to him to be doing such a thing and he almost jumped when the phone started beeping. Then a voice picked up, familiar yet different in the intercom of the phone.

"Hello you've reached Saura, who is this?" The man said.

"Hi-" the Sannin started, he didn't know what to say, it all had been rather out of place, "it's Orochimaru."

"Ninja, surprised you called. What's wrong?" The man said, "you sound like you're in trouble again need me to come pick you up."

"Yes." He said it quickly, he hadn't meant to.

"Alright, where are you?" Saura said.

"The police station." Orochimaru said.

"The police? Okay don't panic I'll be there soon. Which one?" Saura asked.

"Which one? I- I don't know." The serpent said looking around the room for the name of the building. It wasn't there and he eventually looked at one of the officers, the one who had been the nicer one of the lot, "which police station is this?"

"Upper East wood." The man called.

"I heard that, I'll be there soon." Saura said on the other end of the phone, he then hung up and a dull noise echoed. Orochimaru held the phone for a minute longer before placing it back into the box he had seen the man put it in.

The officer looked at him then gestured he take a seat on the other end of the table, he then questioned him about his name and asked he hand over his ID. The Sannin hadn't been given one as he had escaped, he didn't allow it to worry him.

"I lost it." The Sannin said.

"What?" The man said, "damn it, you ninja don't take this seriously at all. None of the ninja ever have their bloody books."

"Just fill in his name, take a picture of him and load it onto the system with his finger print. We don't need his ID." Another officer stated easily. He pulled the Sannin over and did things which slightly alarmed the snake. He didn't know why they needed an inked version of his finger print, and he didn't like the flashing of their camera which was much louder and brighter than the ninjas simpler versions. When the interrogation was finally over a man entered the station and called to the Sannin.

"Orochimaru." He said as he placed a reassuring hand on his slim arm. The Sannin looked up to meet eyes with the man he had met days earlier, "he is with me, I'll pay his bail what did he do?"

"Shit all." The nicer officer said under his breath.

"He threatened a couple on Tatru street." The officer said, "is he with you?"

"I didn't stutter." Saura snapped, "this system is ridiculous. You're just looking to make extra money you corrupt bastards."

"Calm down sir." A man said beside him.

"Here's the bail amount." The man at the desk said unimpressed. Saura roughly signed something and retrieved money out of his pockets, Orochimaru noted how much it was and reminded himself he would now have to add that amount to the total. Saura then guided the Sannin away from the station and lead him to a fancy looking machine. The cars doors opened when he clicked a button on a small device in his hand and he helped the serpent into the passenger side before getting into the drivers seat. The car roared to life with much more power than any of the other cars the serpent had heard and it startled him momentarily. It was also much faster and the first pull away caused the Sannin to tense up noticeably as he yelped softly. He didn't allow his weakness to show again as Saura apologized. The next time they stopped the man reached out an arm to stop the Sannin from falling into the dash board, as he never seemed to expect the next stop still unaware that red lights indicated they could not continue. He caught on swiftly as he didn't like the physical contact despite its good intentions. Orochimaru then realized he was not being taken to his groups motel, and that he hadn't told the man where he needed to go.

"I'll pay you back for the bail- and the compensation money. Just give me time." Orochimaru said. Saura laughed.

"No don't, it's nothing to me." He said.

"For my sake, I'd like to clear my debt." The Sannin said.

"It's not debt if I gave it to you." Saura said again.

"I don't want-" the Sannin was cut off.

"Tell you what, I'm having a party tomorrow night. Why don't you come, call it pay back." Saura said, upon seeing the snake tensed at the idea he added, "you can bring anyone you want."

"Alright, where is it?" Orochimaru said deciding he was happy if he could bring with his group.

"I'll pick you up, where do you stay?" Saura asked.

"In a motel not far from here." Orochimaru said honestly. The man nodded seemingly feeling bad for the svelte male upon hearing he was resigning in a lower part of the neighborhood. He allowed the Sannin to direct him to the specific motel he was staying at and parked outside it.

"I'll walk you in." He said as he opened the serpents door, the serpent didn't object deciding he might as well be polite. Saura had done him many favors. They walked up the stairs which were empty now that it was daytime besides one or two ninja cleaning up the hallways.

Orochimaru opened the door to their motel and invited the man inside deciding he may as well give the last of his manners, his parents had taught him such courtesy. Saura seemed to be happy to enter the dingy little motel room and accepted easily. They were met by Tsukiko who hopped and bounded to the snake Sannin completely ignoring the male beside his owner. Orochimaru greeted the dog with equal enthusiasm and knelt down to hug the canine as it licked at his face. It appeared as if his injuries had healed slightly his leg evidently no longer causing him any grief. Saura bent down to greet the dog as well, but the Sannin guessed it was only due to seeing the serpent cared for his dog. The thought of greeting the animal never would have occurred to the NW before he noted the person he was with cared for it. Orochimaru got to his feet as Tuskiko greeted the man sceptically. The dog was naturally cautious of strangers and the Sannin didn't judge the mans character off of his response knowing it was warped by the dogs bad past.

"We don't have much to offer you, anything to drink?" The serpent asked.

"I'm alright thanks." Saura said, he then went to a note pad provided by the motel and jotted down an address. He then placed more money on the table and moved over to the door near the ninja.

"What are you-" Orochimaru objected before the man cut him off.

"That's my address if you ever need me for anything, or a place to stay whatever." Saura said.

"And the money, I don't need more." Orochimaru said slightly hopelessly as he moved black strands away from his eyes, it was almost exhausting trying not to owe the man more and more money.

"Incase you need anything. It's a tough neighbourhood." Saura said, "you can always use a bit of extra."

Saura then moved forwards to hug the Sannin goodbye, in which the snake more out of confusion hugged him back as he swung out the motel room. Orochimaru leant against the door frame wishing he was in less of a dependent position. So far, the man hadn't done anything worthy of suspicion, he had been more than helpful and polite. The serpent slipped back into the room and shut the door before slumping onto the couch propping his legs up and drawing them to his chest. Tsukiko hopped up on to the couch beside him and lay down loyally.

Although it was all a show of kindness, any kind of debt left the snakes stomach in a knot.

Authors note- it's been busy, sorry for the late update. Hope everyone is still fine and enjoying the story. Please leave reviews and a huge thanks to those who do!


	4. Haunted House

_"_ _Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift."_

Orochimaru hadn't told the others of his pre-made plans with Saura the following night. Instead he simply informed them he had found a job, as he preferred exchanging news which would be readily accepted. Kakashi had informed them that he had also found a job he could work while they saved up, and Hidan said he had also returned successful. Asuma and Deidara however were empty handed. Deidara didn't seem to phased by it but it appeared as if the day had taken its toll on Asuma significantly. He did a good job of hiding it, but the serpents golden eyes picked up every movement which was slightly to forceful or tense. He could detect the minor depictions of anger, even when the entire room was oblivious.

"So you're still not coming tonight?" Kakashi asked his friend.

"I don't see a point to going." Asuma admitted.

"To relax a little." Hidan said, "you should ease up, you'll die of a heart attack."

"There's no harm in going, it's free entry." Deidara said.

The Jounin seemed hesitant before finally deciding he would also attend the function, as he had no other plans. Tsukiko looked up at the Sannin peacefully as his head rested on his lap.

Kakashi sat on the Sannins other side, and the dog didn't have any complaints. He was more than happy with the copy ninjas company now that they were on better terms, the hound now trusting the man. Orochimaru checked the time and then the invite of the Halloween evening. It was almost time if they wished to attend, not that there was any specified closing times anyhow. Deidara followed his friends eyes and then bounced to the small clock on the wall.

"We should start trying to find this place." The blond said eagerly.

"How do we go about finding it? We don't have a map." Asuma stated, he then walked to the counter to search in the draws before his eyes landed on the money. Orochimaru had hidden the NWs address but he hadn't moved the money. Asuma looked back over to the group curiously.

"Who managed to get more money?" Asuma asked.

"I did." Orochimaru said, he didn't feel like telling everyone of his prison story. He didn't enjoy relaying stories or explaining himself. He simply didn't see the point in it all.

"That's great. I'm starving." Deidara admitted, "we should get food at the event."

"We should head out, grab the money and let's go." Hidan said impatiently.

Orochimaru got to his feet and Tsukiko watched the male slip off to the small dingy kitchen. He returned with the last of the acquired dog food. A wagging tail greeted him as he exited the kitchen and he fed the dog who eagerly lapped it up.

The ninja all gathered themselves before heading to the door, Tsukiko decided he was feeling fit enough to follow and he hastily slipped out the door. Asuma eyed the dog passively.

"He coming with?" Asuma asked.

"I don't see why not, his leg seems fine and he seems rather eager." Orochimaru said. He didn't need a collar nor a leash it seemed, as the dog stuck close by to his newly found pack. They ventured down the halls and the man at the desk called over a friendly greeting to the Sannin. He then looked slightly shocked when he saw the dog pursuing him. He did not question the illegal activity of the animal being in the building, despite the obvious _no-dogs_ sign on the door. He let the attractive male slip by when he flashed a charming smile and reciprocated with a warm greeting. Kakashi noticed how his lover played the man for a fool, pretended to be sweet and humble when in fact the snake was a far cry from it. The copy ninja simply rolled his eyes and watched as the dog bounded blissfully unaware of the implications of its presence. The ninja exited the motel and Asuma divided the money equally, almost equally. He gave a bit more to the Sannin who naturally objected.

"It's for Tsukiko." Asuma decided to say, and that seemed to settle the objections. Tsukiko heard his name, in which he had already learnt, and looked over at the man. Asuma made eye contact with the animal before continuing his business.

They had no idea where they were headed or which streets to take. They decided to ask for directions and Orochimaru hung behind Kakashi, he hadn't been successful last time he had asked, and he was willing to let someone else try their luck this time around. He didn't feel like being locked up again.

Asuma handled it and he seemed to do a much better job of it. Either that or he had picked a much friendlier NW. The man gave them directions and pointed out land marks. He offered to write it down as the info was a lot to swallow, but since they were all accomplished ninja they had no issues memorizing directions. Past missions had required they perfect the art of remembering details and using their instincts to get places. They thanked the man and made their way through the streets. Orochimaru was slightly unhappy that he had been stripped of his knife, he had just acquired it, and it was a comfort in the dangerous area, however he couldn't much complain as he had stolen it off a thug, perhaps he would just have to steal another. For now Tsukiko walked by him loyally, his dark eyes meeting all the strangers in the area. His ears alert his posture ready. He may have been weakened but he was certainly back to his old self it seemed and he was on guard. They reached the park which was hosting the event and entered the open gates to see many people moving from stall to stall. Some wore costumes while others had simply come to stop by.

Deidara was eager and he called for the Sannin to follow him to one of the stalls. They had no money to spare but it didn't stop the blonds eager blue eyes from scanning the wears. Orochimaru did not let logic burst his friends enthusiastic bubble of momentary forgetfulness. Tsukiko stayed by the Sannins side and watched the two feminine ninja browse the merchandise. Kakashi let his eyes wander over to see where the serpent had gone to, he didn't want to let him fall to far out of sight. He still found he naturally fell into protective mode by his partner. He had lost many loved ones in his life, he refused to let it happen again. The sudden thought made Kakashi think of his students. He wondered where they were, wondered if they had yet agreed to the proposal. Knowing Naruto, he doubted it, however the lonely cell of nothingness was enough to break any ninja. Somehow he still doubted the blond demon child had given in to their demand. Sakura was strong willed, but he hazarded a guess that she may have cracked in solitude. She may have become to worried about her friends and family. She would want to seek them out, she would rather do it with no chakara if need be, thankfully, their was a possibility that even if they went through with the proposal they may not have been stripped of anything.

Kakashi was pulled from his thoughts when Asuma spoke to him, and finally he realized why Asuma may have still been a bit of a dark cloud. He did not know where Kurenai was, nor did he know where his students were. The copy ninja at least had the Sannin. Asuma had no clue where his family was.

"Orochimaru should get his dog a collar." Asuma stated, the suggestion surprised Kakashi. Asuma generally avoided the Sannin, they were on neutral terms, but the snake had killed his father. And void of any compensation, there would never be anything to stop that fact from existing. Why Asuma would bring up the dog, which only held relevance to the Sannin was a new revolution in the copy ninjas eyes. He still willed to see Asuma and Orochimaru get along.

"What made you think of that?" Kakashi asked, he regretted asking, he had wanted to see if it was true, to see if Asuma finally saw Orochimaru as a part of the team. He expected the reply to be something along the lines of, " _I know Tsukiko means a lot to him_."

But that was not what followed, it was not the warm response of acceptance which flowed from his friend mouth. Instead his words shattered the copy ninjas moment of happiness and hope.

"Dogs wander, it's reckless to not put a collar on." Asuma said, "you better tell him, he is always doing things which are foolish, walking on thin ice never realizing there's a possibility of it breaking."

Kakashi watched him, his eyes slightly dropping into a dimmer shade as he noted that there was no care to the statement made.

"I'll tell him." Kakashi said, he then watched Asuma disappear into the crowd before he heard a small chuckle behind him. He looked up at Hidan who seemed to find the ordeal amusing.

"Such a sour ass he is." Hidan laughed, "swear the sun doesn't shine in his world."

"Hard times I guess, he will lighten up." Kakashi defended passively. Hidan didn't seem convinced but he looked over at the approaching ninja. Their long hair contrasting with one another, the light golden strands challenging the black hair which swept weightlessly in the air. Orochimaru came to lean into Kakashi's chest, he had an impish smile on his face.

"You going in there?" He asked, his partner followed his gesture and saw the haunted house. Being rather brave by nature the copy ninja saw nothing which would have put him off. However the creators of the event had certainly done their best in making the house, many NW citizens decided not to enter last minute and left the small line to watch others rush out the other end of the tunnel. Some people were even escorted out the actual haunted house as they had become to frightened, the ninja simply found the antics amusing.

"Why, too afraid to go in alone?" Kakashi asked, knowing full well that the odds were his lover was more brave than he could ever be. Demons and the darkest halls was where Orochimaru had once made his home.

Orochimaru shoved his partner lightly with an amused smile before he faked a frightened tone.

"Oh but of course my love." His voice rasped, "what would I ever do with out you by my side."

"I thought so." Kakashi said, deciding he would rather carry on the little act pretending he was serious, knowing full well his partner hated to be seen as weak. Golden eyes watched him with more impish amusement.

"Well then you first." Orochimaru said. He allowed Kakashi to take the lead when the line was empty and Deidara stayed by Hidans side.

"Yeah, depending on how you react coming out will depend on wether or not I go in there." Deidara said, Hidan laughed and looked at the blond with a wide grin.

"We will look after Tsukiko for now." Hidan said, Orochimaru thanked them and followed his partner into the house. The man looked at them with slight annoyance.

"More ninja hey. Tell you what, we will plan something special for your kind." The man said, the two ninja stopped momentarily. On the one hand, the men outside the doors were meant to frighten customers to add to experience, perhaps the man was merely pretending to scare them. On the other hand, the man seemed rather serious, and ninja had been rather low on most NWs lists. They seemed to have something personal against the jutsu wielders, despite the fact that the ninja had been the innocent party.

Orochimaru eyed the man wearily before slipping in behind Kakashi, who evidently had decided in his mind that the man was simply trying to frighten them off. Either that, or he was brave enough to make a point entering the house. He wouldn't let men chase him out because he wielded jutsu rather than guns. They entered the eerily crafted house and heard screeching from its depths. It was not the screams of ghosts but rather of the couple who had entered before the ninja. Kakashi laughed as he saw his lover dart away from something which lunged at him, however it was not out of fright but more annoyance. He had a _"I came in here to be frightened not smacked by giant fake spiders_ ," look on his face. The two ninja found their natural instincts to avoid anything they caught sight of had them dodging every man who tried to pull something. The masks and face paint, the make up and costumes all seemed to be rather pathetic. Perhaps the NW found it to be frightening, but the ninja had seen real demons, ones the size of buildings, they had conquered serpents greater than pyramids and they had entered much darker more dangerous halls. Orochimaru hung onto Kakashi's arm as they walked, more out of affection than for support. He hardly felt the halls were worthy of their title. Many had proclaimed it was the best experience of their lives. Suddenly a man threw himself at the couple, and they avoided him once more before another man got in their way. This continued for a few minutes until there were ten men in the room.

The doors were all blocked by at least two or three men and the two ninja felt slightly threatened by the display. Naturally they both posed bored or casual expressions as they knew how to mask discomfort from their enemies. It was a requirement in battle, and they would never lose the ability, it would forever be a natural reflex to them. They let their facade falter only for a minute when two of the men pulled the Sannin from the copy ninja. Orochimaru hissed and shoved the man off him before seeing his lover being restrained else where. He could only watch for a mere moment when he was forced into another room, Kakashi being subjected to the same thing. Orochimaru wondered if it was a scare tactic, or if it was the man outside the house making good of his promise. For prides sake, just incase it was indeed a part of the house, the Sannin kept his composure through it as he was pulled down one more hall. He had to admit it to himself however, they were being awfully rough, and it made it less plausible with regards to simply being a part of the show. His golden eyes lit up in the darkness and he couldn't help but judge their pitiful efforts of decor. He saw snakes and spiders made of plastic hanging from roofs or stuck to walls. Sometimes the odd snake or spider would be enlarged, and sprung from the door ways. The Sannin would have felt far safer it the halls were littered with real snakes, he would have felt more in his element.

However the men covered in paint and make up which both hid their true identities while making it appear as if blood ran out from their skin finally came to a stop in a small dark room. The Sannin could make out every object in the darkness despite it being almost pitch black. He saw as the men stumbled as they could not make out anything. It was once again strange, why would they take him into a room which mirrored a dressing room. They were fumbling for the light, which once again was odd. Putting the lights on wouldn't make the room scarier. It would only help the men, so deciding enough was enough the Sannin decided he would break away. He was a fool to think any NW was capable of not discriminating against the ninja. The man holding his arm and pulling him felt a sharp pain as the ninja jerked his hand away and twisted his body to ensure the man had no means of holding on.

"Fuck-" the man cussed as he released him. Two other men blocked the door, which lead the Sannin to believe he had been a fool to not act quicker. The men hit the lights finally and the room revealed itself, however the Sannins eyes had already made out the odd arrangement.

Orochimaru hissed as the man he had broken away from came to apprehend him again. He looked around at the men with slitted eyes as he assessed matters. Four to one.

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Deidara sat beside Hidan and the dog which wagged its tail and looked around the festival eagerly. Suddenly men dressed in odd attire came out from the house and made their way onto a stage. The blond found it to be interesting and tugged on Hidans arms.

"Let's go watch." He said, the immortal had no objections as they went to watch the odd display. The gang of oddly costumed men made their way to random groups of people and attempted to scare them. The two elite rogues watched as every NW the gang scared would shriek and scatter before reassembling with mild fits of laughter, where as every ninja the gang approached would naturally dodge and then smile with some amusement as the gang failed at catching them by surprise. Deidara watched as he saw someone familiar catch his eye, the female ninja walking side by side with a male. Deidara did not know them all to personally, but due to their capture last time, he had been forced into their company on odd occasions. He gestured for Hidan to follow as he ran up to the ninja, they met him with grateful eyes.

"Shikamaru- Ino." Deidara said as he reached the Chunin. Ino swiped blond hair out of her eyes and then trotted to meet them, Shikamaru seemed as eager but his natural laziness kept him at a fast walk.

"Deidara, Hidan." Shikamaru said, "and here I thought we were the only two who agreed to the proposal."

"Have you found anyone else?" Ino asked eagerly.

"Yeah, we are here with the others." Hidan answered, "your teacher is Asuma right? He is here somewhere, then Kakashi and Orochimaru went into the haunted house together."

"Asuma." Shikamaru said with relief, he had always been close to his mentor.

"Wow, I didn't think Orochimaru of all people would agree to the proposal." Ino admitted, he had after all wanted eternal life to simply learn more jutsu. He had given up much to earn the jutsu he had over the years, it seemed out of character. And she was right.

"He didn't." Hidan said, "No idea how he did it really, but he managed to break us out of the holding cells."

"So you have jutsu?" Shikamaru asked.

"Not quite... there's some sort of gas released in the air to stifle our chakara for as long as we are under the dome." Deidara said as he brushed hair away from his eyes to face the Nara. The two seemed to contemplate the words before shaking off the down side to the rogues escape.

"Can you take us to Asuma?" Ino finally asked.

"No idea where he went to, but stick by us and we will eventually meet up again." Hidan replied, the two younger ninja had no issues with following the rogues.

Tsukiko started growling and the group looked at him, he started pacing on the same spot and whimpering in mild panic. He then looked around with his folded ears leaning forwards as they listened intently to what ever seemed to alarm him.

"Easy there." Hidan muttered, the two younger ninja finally noticed the dog and they passed questioning eyes at the two old Akastuki members.

"Who is this?" Ino asked.

"Orochimaru lugged home a stray. But we were looking after him for a while." Deidara answered. The two younger ninja accepted it and waited for the dog to settle, but Tsukiko did not settle, instead he carried on growling and snarling, whimpering and shaking. He then started off towards a crowd before Hidan snatched the scruff of his neck. The dog yelped and backed up before looking up at the rogue with agitated eyes.

"Leave them." Hidan commanded, wondering why the dog had rushed the crowd.

"He senses something." Shikamaru said.

"The last thing I need is to get in trouble with NWs because of someone else's dog." Hidan muttered. He held on to Tsukiko in hopes of him stopping.

However the dog never fell quiet and he never stopped pulling and growling.

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Kakashi soon realized he may have made a mistake letting the men pull him away from the Sannin. It had become frighteningly obvious that they were not a part of the haunted house but instead a group of NW racists. After that realization came about Kakashi broke from their group, as two men tried to grab hold of him again he grabbed hold of a prop candle. It was made of stainless steel and was supposed to make the room look medieval. It served a new purpose now as Kakashi used it as his chosen weapon. Being well versed in using weapons he found he had managed to wound three of the men before another got hold of him. However he wasn't unable to defend himself against the next attacker and managed to once again fight the man off him. The men cussed in annoyance as they were taken down. Kakashi didn't wait to finish the job but instead headed back down the dark halls cutting through many curtains with restriction warnings on them. He lost the men in the maze like halls and found he eventually ended up out of the house through a back door. Kakashi swiped at his face to move short white strands to find crimson blood trailing down his fingertips. He figured he must have been smashed in the head by one the attackers.

People nearby the exit flashed him worried eyes, as they sensed the flightiness of his motions were far to real to be acting, the blood far to realistic to be make up. They moved away with light murmurs of disapproval, they then spoke to random guards who were positioned for safety. Kakashi was approached by the man who asked him to explain what the matter was, naturally the man addressed him rather harshly.

"I was attacked." Kakashi said quickly, "and my boyfriend is still in there, we were split up by a group of men. I need to go back in and find him."

"No you don't, I'll get your boyfriend." The man replied, "description."

"Long black hair, gold eyes-" Kakashi was cut off.

"Is this some joke?" The cop barked.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked irritably.

"Golden eyes correct?" The man asked.

"Ninja belong to many different clans. Golden eyes is unlikely but possible." Kakashi said, "surely you've seen ninja are different."

"Fucking freaks." The man said under his breath, but the copy ninja heard it loud and clear. He refrained from starting fights however, he needed the man to help his lover.

The man then gestured for the Jounin to go to one of the other cops and explain matters again. He would then be escorted to safety, and possible candidates would be brought in to be identified as the attackers or not. Kakashi wanted to go back in and help the Sannin himself, so he stood his ground.

"I'd like to go with you." Kakashi said.

"Not your place ninja." The cop barked, "get back, that's an order. You don't follow that order and you can spend some jail time of your own."

Kakashi allowed the man to leave seeing as fighting would only make his lover stuck in the hell hole for longer. The man dissaperead into the house after yelling for the man at the desk to put it on lock down. The couple next in line decided they'd rather not enter the house at all after the small display and ran from the queue. Kakashi made his way begrudgingly to the cop he was told to go to. The man cast him a friendly enough stare and requested he retell the story. The copy ninja did just that and the man jotted the incident down on a piece of paper. As he was used to filing reports the Jounin left no small bit of information out and conducted a rather detailed report. The cop eyed him amusedly during his answer, then the sound of a man approaching halted their talking.

"Place is empty of all golden eyed males." The cop said, "I found the bloodied candle stick, but no men to link it to. Just a whole lot of startled costume wearers."

"He has to be somewhere near-" Kakashi said panicked.

"Perhaps, but he isn't in the haunted house anymore." The cop said.

"And neither are our attackers. We have to find him." Kakashi said again unable to comprehend why the man wasn't more concerned. The two cops carried on their conversation ignoring the copy ninjas worried plea, his eyes darted around the dark park. It would be close to impossible to find his lover. It appeared as if the cops had no real care either. The friendly cop finally looked over to Kakashi and informed him of their next move, it wasn't what the copy ninja had wanted to hear.

"We will send out a search party as soon as we have men to spare." He said.

"To spare?" Kakashi asked.

"Our citizens come first, ninja are always second." The man said.

"He could be killed." Kakashi said, he then shook his head in annoyance and left. He wasn't waiting around for the men to make quick work of his lover, and the officers seemed to be as useful as the trees themselves. The two officers let him go with out question, they evidently did not care much about the ninjas affairs.

Kakashi made his way through the crowds, he wasn't sure where he would look first until he heard Tsukiko bellowing loudly in the distance. He sounded full on alert and the copy ninja decided to follow the dogs instincts. He saw Hidan holding the dog as it thrashed and complained loudly. Tsukiko then fell to the floor and spun in circles as he barked and pined. Deidara looked up at Kakashi then noticed the absence of the Sannin. The copy ninja then met eyes with Shikamaru and Ino who also seemed rather distressed.

"What happened?" Hidan asked seriously, for once his natural light hearted slightly sadistic nature falling away.

"We were attacked, and they won't let me back into the house to look for Orochimaru." Kakashi said in a blur of words.

"Is he in there still?" Hidan asked.

"No- the cops entered and cleared the place. The attackers are gone as well, I think they have him." Kakashi said again, he looked at Tsukiko hopefully. He wanted the dog to track his lovers scent, to run off like his ninja hounds would have. However Tsukiko was not ninja, nor capable of speaking English to the necessary degree needed. He merely ran in circles and barked in distress. He could sense the energy was a mess, but he could not figure out what his use would be.

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Orochimaru thrashed in his confines as he was dragged into the vehicle before him, he hissed and kicked up a fuss but it was achieving nothing more than more harsh treatment. He couldn't believe his luck, once forced into a car by cops and now by the opposite side of the law. He was subdued and pushed into the car as the men over powered him. Four had grown to six and he felt the reality of his situation grow darker. The car started to life and he continued his futile efforts until he felt a harsh stinging sensation erupt on the side of his face as one of the men hit him.

"Sit still." He snapped, haven grown tired of the Sannins apparent disobedience. According to the men, the fact that the pale ninja dared try to fight for his freedom was infuriating. He hissed with his head lowered as he held his wounded face with a shaken hand, his golden eyes flicked over the men. They seemed panicked, worried that what they had done would end them up in prison.

"Since when do cops come looking for ninja?" One finally blurted out.

"Fucking ridiculous." Another said angrily, "they're our police force, we don't pay tax for them to help these bastards."

The Sannin was more unnerved now, they had only taken him hostage as they feared he would report them to the cops. They all seemed unsure of what they would do to the ninja they had captured. Kill him most likely. They ventured down the road still in mild anger and panic, the road lights suddenly became more spaced a part until eventually they were driving using only their headlights to guide them. They had entered a forest it seemed, however Orochimaru could only guess as there was minimal amount of light anywhere around them and they were driving at a quick rate the dirty windows making it impossible to look out. It was a painful drive and every now and then the men would turn to make sure their captive wouldn't try anything, he didn't, or more so he couldn't. He wished in that moment that he still had his knife. Once more all he had was a bit of money which they would likely steal, and of course the number of Saura. Which he wouldn't have hesitated calling if it weren't for the fact that he didn't have a phone. Perhaps they would take him to their home, perhaps he could somehow call for help. Perhaps he could run, lose them in the dark forest as he had done so many times before. The car jerked to a nerve shattering stop and the men got out with some sort of tenacity. Orochimaru watched them anxiously until all of the men had exited the vehicle.

They then locked the ninja in the car as they discussed something outside of ear shot. Despite a clear open sign, the door was still not opening when the Sannin tried. He had seen NW men open the cars doors the same way before and he couldn't understand why it wasn't working for him. The attackers had the key of the car, but that shouldn't have stopped him from opening his door from the inside. He analyzed the interior of the dusty car and saw the flashing red words reading _child lock_. He had heard of it before, although only vaguely. He reached over from the back seat and subtly tried touching random buttons. Perhaps he could find a way to remove the locks. However he was very unaware of what every button did and he made the fatal error of hitting the cars hooter which boomed loudly. The men glared at the car and approached the car swiftly, the anger in their eyes told the Sannin they didn't like what he had done, so he tried to prevent them from getting to him. He hit the button which had a small white image of a lock on it and the doors made a strange clicking noise. However the men then made for the key and the same odd sound repeated before they wrenched the door open. Orochimaru tried to get away from the mans large forceful hand but his hair was caught in the mans hold and he was dragged out regardless of his struggles. He hit the dirt as the man shoved him downwards before he received a harsh kick to his side. He grunted at the familiar feeling of pain and wearily watched the group approach from his lower position.

He was hardly the best candidate to break away and fight back, his best option would be running but the men had him surrounded. It was a hopeless situation that he had wished he would never find himself in. There was nothing around him which could be used as a make shift weapon, and there was no way he could use his jutsu inside the dome. He hardly knew what to do in the horrid situation he was presented in until he heard a loud bang in the distance. He didn't hear which way the gun shot came from but it had his attackers jumping in fright and it had momentarily retained their interest. It was enough time for the stealthy serpent to slip away. They spun back to see the Sannin exiting the trees coverage. They took chase after his slim form which found it much easier cutting through the obstacles of nature. He ran until he collided with someone in the bushes. The man look disheveled and he had a slightly deranged look in his eyes, but he didn't aim the gun he held at the Sannin but rather pointed it ahead of them both. When the snakes attackers caught up they slammed on breaks as they faced the barrel of the gun, the hunter now the hunted, they put their hands up in surrender.

"Shit, chill man." One of the attacker panicked. They backed up and the stranger allowed them to vanish into the trees. Orochimaru wasn't sure if he was happier in the stranger company, but he had proven he was not on his attackers side at the very least. The gunner looked at the serpent cautiously.

"What did you do to get yourself in this mess." He asked as he lowered his rifle to his side, the Sannin stared up at him with slightly over whelmed lurid eyes.

"They attacked me- I-" he decided he wasn't going to explain, "can you point me to the nearest road."

"Nearest road is a good few kilometers away hun." The man said, the word _hun_ almost had the snake Sannin ready to attack the man. He was sick of the demeaning nicknames the NW citizens loved to throw around.

"I can't stay around here anyway, I might as well get walking." Orochimaru said deciding he wouldn't anger the armed man. He received light laughter which sounded slightly unhinged.

"I can drive you there hun, I stay just a way from here." He said, the snake suddenly realized that once again things didn't add up. Why would a man be out in the dense forest, and why would he live close to it, closer than the nearest apparent road.

"You live in the forest." Orochimaru said, his eyes showing he hardly believed the man. The man burst out laughing.

"No of course not, my family has a holiday house in the woods." The man said.

"Why are you alone now?" Orochimaru asked.

"I left my jacket by the creek in the woods, I needed to fetch it." The man said as if it were all obvious.

"Then why were you walking these woods with a gun?" Orochimaru questioned, the man seemed less interested in answering, almost as if he was starting to get the feeling that he was being accused of something.

"I'll be honest, I didn't expect to be rescuing some ninja out here. But I don't know what nature will throw at me, there are bears out here, lots of other predators as well." The man replied, "the nearest road is that way hun, it's a long walk, if you want a lift speak now."

The idea of walking around the dark forest when bears and other predators lurked seemed daunting. If he didn't stand a chance with the men from earlier he would bet his life an encounter with a bear would be his last. He decided to follow the man for the meanwhile, he could always assess how matters were from there. The cabin didn't look as rustic as a forest house should have but was rather modern and clean. There were other houses scattered around it, as it was evidently a common choice for holiday getaways. The other houses didn't have their lights on, and although it was late at night the Sannin still felt desolate. The house the stranger lead him to had its lights on and the sound of loud chattering also filled it. Orochimaru didn't go inside the house, he looked around for a car until it became obvious there wasn't one.

"Thought you had a car." Orochimaru said putting slight distance between him and the man with the rifle. The stranger didn't notice the gesture of unsureness.

"Someone must have gone to the shops. Well make yourself at home they shouldn't be long." The man said casually. He then noticed the snakes hesitance, "I didn't lie about the car, I didn't exactly walk here by foot. As I said its miles from the roads."

A cold wind rippled the air and the Sannin shivered lightly in his torn clothes, it was only then that the man noticed the ninja had been roughed up. Light traces of scarlet blood trailing down his shaken form, his body indicated he had been through a stressful few hours however his eyes remained calm and confident. His body may have been unsettled but his mind was still intact.

"We have a first aid kit I think. We can disinfect the more nasty injuries." The man offered, the sound of the bushes rustling made the Sannin make up his mind. He didn't want to be forest animals supper. They entered the only lit up house and the Sannin's suspicious eyes swept across the room. Family the man had said, yet there was no mother or wife present. No children. Just a group of slightly tipsy men the same age as the stranger himself.

"Ignore them, they'll probably try and hit on you." The man chuckled, "where the hell is the car?"

"He didn't get eaten!" One man said happily, "good job- who is this?"

"Hey beautiful." Another man called with a smirk on his face, the Sannin didn't reply.

"Catty." One man chuckled.

"The car you assholes." The stranger said.

"Fura took it out calm down, went to go buy more beer." The man who had previously said _catty_ replied. The stranger nodded and moved to the couch where he placed himself next to one of the more sober looking men. Orochimaru made his way over to the window but he over heard one of the men despite their hushed voice.

"Good job bringing him here." He whispered, the snakes golden eyes looked over to him subtly. The stranger nodded and gestured for his friend to pass him a beer in which the man did so. Although the words could have meant anything the snake was weary, if it was one thing the Sannin had learnt it was that nice NW seemed far and few in between as they had arrived in a rather shady city. The stranger dialed on his mobile phone and put it to his ear.

"Yeah, make sure you bring it." He answered in the phone, although he had put his phone on quiet the snake could hear the voice on the other end. Due to his years of practicing as a ninja, his senses were always heightened where as the NW citizens seemed to have dulled their senses considerably.

"Yeah I know I will calm down. He there with you?" The voice said softly.

"No shit, of course it's here." The stranger said. The fact that the man had refrained from saying _he_ and rather said _it_ made the Sannin guess the stranger didn't want the snake getting any ideas. However he already had and it was too late, his trust was lost. Orochimaru played his facade of friendly and lost once more as he turned to the stranger after he hung up the phone.

"Do you have a restroom?" He asked politely.

"Down the hall hun." He replied gesturing, the Sannin thanked him, he had received permission to enter the rest of the cabin with out causing suspicion. He moved down the hall and disappeared into one of the rooms, it was a small make shift kitchen but unluckily for him there was no phone. He checked every room in the house but he couldn't find any signs of a phone, which he finally realized made sense, there was no power in the woods. He breathed out in frustration. He wasn't getting attacked again.

"Hey beautiful." The smirking mans voice called from down the hall, "need me to take care of those wounds of yours?"

Orochimaru let his eyes fall to the door where the noise was coming towards, he didn't want any of their help, he wasn't taking the chance of getting caught again. He exited through the kitchens back door where he found himself amid the trees in darkness once more. The idea of predators frightened him, but not half as much as the men behind him did. He propelled himself into the coverage and regretted haven not searched for a means of weaponry.

He couldn't exactly turn back however, he had no way of telling if the men would be angry. He thanked the gods when he heard one of the men yell.

"He got away!"

It was enough to reassure him that he had made the right decision, he then heard gunshots fire after him and he carried on running down the path. He avoided any jutting out roots and logs which may have tripped anyone else who ran through the starlit forest. He ran until his lungs burnt and his body shook from both adrenalin, fear and the cold air which tore at him. He could feel every injury he had attained from his original attackers and he came to a near crash when he stopped running. He placed a hand to support himself on the rough barked tree. He tried to calm himself down and he almost succeeded until there was a light rustle in the bushes, it wasn't a predator it was to small a sound, but trying to reason with his mind when he was lost in a forest wasn't working out. He took off running again and the forest became that of a blur once more, finally he saw a light in the distance. His legs were tired and his breathing was heavy but he hurtled towards it out of pure desperation. He slammed on breaks when he realized the lights were that of a car, the latter of which hooted as it swerved away from hitting him. Orochimaru backed away from the middle of the road and proceed walking the same way as the car, it must have been heading somewhere. He walked up the road for an hour before he reached civilization. He had never been thankful for seeing NW citizens in his life, however at that point any human was good enough reassurance.

He then realized he had no idea where he was, he would have asked a nearby NW but they all looked alarmingly shady. He suddenly no longer felt safe and he hurried onwards. He spotted a nearby sign and read the name: East Boulevard. It wasn't familiar in the slightest he thought morbidly before he walked down the street with a heavy heart. Halloween had hardly been a blast for the Sannin, it had turned out to be a true nightmare. He regretted going to the Haunted House, regretted not heeding the mans words and most of all for dismissing his own instincts. He saw a small box made of glass, within it a phone was placed. The payphone was a foreign looking object but he headed towards it. He then swiftly dialed the numbers of Saura, the only contact he had on him, or had for that matter. The phone didn't work and his eyes eventually spotted a money slot. He sighed and placed the money into the slot and then redialed the number. The phone buzzed to life and the Sannin breathed out in relief, he the heard the groggy sounding voice of the NW who may one day regret giving the bad luck charm his number.

"Hello...?" Saura asked sleepily.

"It's me-again." Orochimaru said, he wished he didn't have to depend on the man so heavily, but it was not his world it seemed, he was heavily dependent of the NWs laws, and to survive those laws he needed a NWs help.

"It's four in the morning, is something wrong or do ninja not sleep?" Saura laughed tiredly.

"... Where is East Boulevard?" He asked cautiously, he was hoping it was around the corner form his motel. There was a brief silence and then Saura could be heard moving.

"Let me search for it quick." Saura said, there was more silence until the NW sighed out, "it's out of town, about two or three hours drive away, why?"

"An hours drive... How far a walk?" Orochimaru asked.

"Wow ninja, that's no small walk, it's long roads, lots of freeways. Give it a days walk." Saura said, "I can give you a lift, if its urgent."

"An entire days journey... I want to get back to the motel, how would I get transport back?" The Sannin decided to ask.

"Wait, Orochi are you in East Boulevard? God, how on earth did you get there?" Saura asked, he was evidently worried, "you know what, don't answer that. I'm coming now don't move, don't leave the phone booth. It's dangerous in the East, more than this hell hole and that's saying something."

"Is there no way I can just get another car down to the motel. I have money on me." Orochimaru tried.

"Not safely no, not for a ninja. Just stay there." Saura said, "don't move, promise me you'll stay put."

"Alright." Orochimaru said, he put the phone down and locked the door on the booth before slumping to the floor. He drew his legs towards his chest. Although he had earned the right to break down after the day's events he didn't. He simply sat patiently, almost numbed, almost happy. It had given him a small taste of the good days, when he had jutsu, when he ran places. He loved the thrill, he loved out smarting his enemy. It was all dangerous, but that was what made it worth playing. It was a life the serpent thrived on, and it would have been a rather good reminder of his past had he not had to call for help. One step at a time he thought with a light smile on his face, he brushed knotted strands out of his eyes tiredly.

Authors note- hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and I hope it wasn't too over due this time around. Let me know what you think in the reviews! Thanks for reading, and a huge thanks to Vampiredoll666, as the support is always appreciated.


	5. Pretty Lights and Lies

_"You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control."_

It had started to rain around the prison the snake had purposefully placed himself in. Orochimaru saw the lights of an approaching car and he held his breath praying it would be Saura. The car passed by however without hesitating by the phone booth and the Sannin realized it was unfortunately no one he knew. He leant against the cold glass of the booth again, certainly not unaware of the many eyes fixed onto his slim form protected by the thin glass case. One man eventually came to the booth and knocked on it, the Sannin was now cold towards any strangers haven been given many reasons to be suspicious, he looked up at the man.

"You okay?" The man asked, his eyes didn't seem to be untrustworthy, but the snake was now far too fearful of humans to let one in its den.

"I'm fine." He replied shortly. The man nodded, as if he felt awkward about matters. The man had a waterproof hood pulled over most of his head, but the heavy rain managed to soak some of his hair regardless. At the same time the phone booth had become slightly flooded, as the floors were not perfectly made and allowed water to seep in from the outside.

Orochimaru didn't mind the water too much, he would rather be safe than comfortable. The man didn't move from the booth and eventually one of his friends came up.

"Hey, um- are you waiting for someone?" The man asked, once again he was not in anyway revealing a darker side. These men may well have been the better half of the NW citizens. However the snake was still untrusting.

"I am, he'll be here soon." Orochimaru replied.

"That's not going to keep you dry, um- we're going to the bar down the street. Why don't you come wait in there? You can use my cellphone." The man offered.

"I'm fine." Orochimaru repeated, perhaps a bit too harshly. These men had done him no harm, but since all the men before them had he found himself saying things with slightly more hateful intent than required. It appeared as if the men could sense the Sannin hadn't said the words out of ungrateful hatred, but rather nervous untrust. They didn't leave for a few moments.

"Alright, well we are inside if you need us." The man said, they then entered the bar they were originally heading towards. The Sannin watched them go with fixed golden eyes and made sure they went where they had said they were going. Why it even mattered was beyond him when his eyes finally landed on the pooling water in the booth.

It would only be a little longer he reassured himself, then he would be safe and back with the others. Back with Kakashi, and Tsukiko. Back with his friends who would take a bullet for him, rather than men that wanted to shoot him. It was a relief to finally have someone, one person, who he could trust, who he didn't question, and in return, who didn't question him. He used that hopeful ending to get him through the cold and wet hours that passed until finally another set of headlights came into view. The car was driving slow, as if the person was looking for someone, and that in itself gave the Sannin hope that it was Saura again. The car came to a stop by the booth and Orochimaru instantly recognised the fancy vehicle, its headlights slanted like angered eyes that penetrated the darkness and illuminated the rain. The serpent opened the phone booth and trotted out , he could see the men who had offered him help earlier looking out the bars window. They looked slightly relieved to see him finally leave the cold booth and moved from the window, seemingly haven only sat there to watch out for the snake. Saura jumped out the car and helped Orochimaru into his seat before running back to the drivers side. As soon as he was in he locked the doors with the haunting click, which would forever remind the snake of when he had tried to escape the haunted house thugs.

Saura looked at the Sannin worriedly and traced his form with his eyes to see all the small cuts and bruises, the struggle marks which to the ninja, were nothing more than pitiful pieces of evidence reminding him that he had failed in the fight. Wounds of such minor implications hardly got any notice from the snake, he was almost unaware he was injured at all.

"How in hells name did you get so far out of town ninja?" Saura asked, he pulled a blanket out from the back seat and handed it to the slightly shaking Sannin. He had gotten over the events, no longer shaken by them, but the cold always numbed the serpent. He was always the first to fall victim to the icy temperatures. Orochimaru accepted the blanket to warm his small form.

"It's a long story, and it's not the most interesting." Orochimaru said, he hated explaining sob stories of weakness. He hated weakness in himself.

"I think after a three hour drive I've earned the right to get a little more detail." Saura said with a light smile.

Orochimaru sighed internally, he felt as if he did _owe_ the man that much, and he hated feeling as if he owed anyone at all. He relayed the story in the briefest of detail, and he excluded whatever he could get away with excluding. However Saura was what one would call a good listener, and he engaged in the story fully asking at every given opportunity a question which would force the snake to go into detail. Finally, Orochimaru had concluded and Saura had run out of questions.

"I can get the police to find those men." Saura offered, "It's Halloween, there are lots of cults around at this time, guess they count a ninja like they would a black cat. Easy target and full of made up superstition. Either way, we can make those men pay."

As much as revenge was a part of the Sannin's usual day life, he decided against it. As an escapee from the proposal he hardly wanted to go grant them any further information about himself. A trip to the police station for a second time would only increase his chances of being found. The cost didn't add up. He decided he would rather simply return home.

"That won't be necessary. It was bad luck, not something which will pester me again." Orochimaru replied calmly, Saura watched his almost bored expression. The car carried on smoothly down the wet road, which they were forced to drive slightly slower on as it had become a hazard during the rain storm. Saura seemed to contemplate something momentarily before addressing the Sannin.

"What were you as a ninja?" He asked.

"I'm sorry?" Orochimaru said confused, his golden eyes landing on the NW. No NW had ever asked him about his past life, what being a ninja was about. However the NW struggled to form his question and the ninja struggled to interpret it.

"I heard there are… ranks of skill?" Saura continued, "What were you ranked?"

Finally the question made sense and the snake was willing to answer the man freely. He had never met an NW who cared about the ninja, as people, not as creatures to be used.

"Do you know what the ranks are called?" Orochimaru asked.

"No, I heard the name Jounin once." Saura said honestly.

"There are many ranks, Jounin is a high one." Orochimaru said, "The lowest would be genin, usually only children are genin however. Then there is the next rank which is Chunin, which is younger ninja, or else weaker or less confrontational ninja."

Saura seemed to absorb the names like a sponge as he listened to the names the raven haired male spoke of. The system was complicated for first timers, all its detail a bit too far out for a NW to grasp fully in one lesson. Orochimaru decided to leave out ranks such as ANBU, and the difference between fighters and medics. He would leave out the different fighters of taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu. It was information the man didn't need.

"Then after that we have our Jounin, high levelled ninja skilled in what they do." Orochimaru said, "Some surpass even that, and then there is one individual who takes the title of Kage. He who has that title is far beyond normal ninja, and leads whatever village he is a part of."

"So what level are you?" Saura asked.

"Me and my team surpassed Jounin, so we were named Sannin." Orochimaru said.

"Your team?" Saura asked.

"We train in teams of three, then go out on missions individually when we are ready, however teams tend to stick together for the most part throughout their life." Orochimaru said, the rain pounded at the glass of the car window and the street formed insidious shadows as the headlights played with the darkness.

"So you must miss your team." Saura said.

"I'm not on the best of terms with my team members." Orochimaru said honestly, his golden eyes flicking to the window.

"Why not?" Saura asked, the Sannin wasn't having fun thinking about his past any longer. The questions were becoming too personal.

"One of them is dead firstly." Orochimaru said honestly, "The other… we just don't talk much."

"We could find him if you want, go on a search. Would be fun." Saura offered.

"She." Orochimaru corrected.

"She, are males and females on the same team?" Saura asked.

The question was less personal again, the Sannin was happier to answer.

"Yes, typically one girl two boys." Orochimaru said, "What do NW's do in their childhood?"

The Sannin finally realized he had no idea what the NW's did at all, they must have been making technology, or learning about it.

"NW's?" Saura asked.

"What are your people called, you flash the letters NW around. It's the name ninja call you." Orochimaru said.

"Oh NW, haha. That stands for New World. It's a military group, nothing to do with us civilians." Saura said, "well, almost nothing. They fight for what we want to change, or they protect us from threats. Much like what you ninja do, except unlike you we are majority citizens, minority military. Ninja seem to be minority citizens and majority fighters."

It all made sense, only certain men and women flashed the badge of NW, and they tended to be more dominant characters, conditioned to fighting.

"So what are you?" Orochimaru asked.

"Nothing, human." Saura said.

"You create inhuman things." Orochimaru argued.

"You could make the same things we have, no magic there." Saura said, "You on the other hand, your people seem to wield magic."

"It's jutsu, a skill. It has nothing to do with magic." Orochimaru said, almost slightly offended, Saura laughed.

"Alright, well we use guns." He said, "Nothing special about that. Anyone can make one, anyone can use one."

The car came to a stop at a red light and the Sannin finally realized morning was approaching. Kakashi must have been worrying sick, or else running around town looking for him. It was hard to tell it was morning with the dark rainy skies. It appeared as if it were still midnight. The town came into view and Saura slowed the vehicle down when they exited the highway. They carried on with their questions and answers, explaining their different ways of living, which when broken down, were not so different after; all minus their battle styles. The car came to a pause by a large door, and when Saura clicked a button that large door opened and the car entered. It wasn't the motel.

"Where are we?" Orochimaru asked, the first question which had no relation to ninja or NW customs.

"My house. I can take you to the motel in a moment, but last I checked you don't have a first aid kit with you." Saura said, he didn't get out the car until he saw the Sannin seemed alright with the decision.

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The group of ninja watched as the copy ninja lost whatever sanity he had, he was asking any NW nearby how to go about certain matters. He had even started using the foreign object called a phone. Asuma had to stop him from running out into the rain and looking for the Sannin by foot. Tsukiko pined and whimpered as he followed the copy ninjas erratic movements. Kakashi was at a dead end, there was nothing left for him to try except run around the city looking with little luck. He was close to trying it.

"What else can we do?" Hidan finally asked, although he knew if someone had the answer they would have presented it.

"I'm going out to look." Kakashi finally said.

"With what hope?" Asuma asked, "They have cars."

"We have time." Kakashi said back.

"Actually, that of all things we don't have." Asuma said.

"What are you saying? We give the hell up?" Kakashi snapped, the other Jounin paused, he hadn't heard the man angry at him before. Not to the degree he was now.

"No, but what you are doing is wasting time. Not helping." Asuma said.

"What else can I do!?" Kakashi snapped again, he wasn't asking the question expecting an answer, he was simply saying it to show that their options had run out. Deidara slumped onto the chair and ran his fingers through his blond hair as his head dropped into his lap. The phone provided by the motel started violently ringing and the ninja all jumped at the unexpected noise. Tsukiko started barking and howling in warning and Hidan grabbed the phone irritably. It took him a moment to figure out how to pick up properly.

"What?" He snapped.

"Hidan?" The voice echoed.

"… Yeah, who is- Orochimaru!" He exclaimed, "Where are you?"

"I'm fine, I'll be home soon. Is Kakashi with you?" Orochimaru asked, he sounded tired, and it was to be expected.

"yeah he is here!- Kakashi, this weird talking box managed to contact Orochimaru." Hidan said excitedly as he tossed the phone over. Unaware of how the phone actually worked the wire was ripped from the wall as it was thrown. Kakashi held it to his ear with urgency but it was silent.

"Hello?" He asked, however nothing came up. Hidan snatched it back.

"It broke." He said irritably.

"More accurately, you broke it." Asuma said, "What did he say before you threw the phone?"

"Said he was coming home now, wanted to know if his beloved over there was alright." Hidan said easily. Deidara and Tsukiko watched hopefully, the dog with a bit more confusion in his eyes his head cocked to the side.

"How is he? Did he sound okay?" Kakashi asked, slightly irritated he hadn't picked up the phone himself.

"No he sounded fine, a bit tired at best. Probably killed those assholes." Hidan chuckled, "He had a knife."

"Thank the gods he did." Deidara said, he pet Tsukiko who wagged his tail politely.

"Did he say how far he was from here?" Asuma asked.

"No, just said he would be home soon." Hidan said.

Soon was a lot less soon than the copy ninja had hoped, an hour passed before the copy ninja saw a car approach. He was leaning on the motel wall waiting for his lover, as waiting in the motel would mean waiting for the Sannin to walk the stairs. The car pulled up and Kakashi eyed it wearily, he couldn't see through the glasses tinted windows, finally the man hopped out from the driver's seat and opened the passenger's side up. Orochimaru got out with the man's help before they hugged goodbye. Or more accurately before the man hugged the ninja goodbye. Kakashi hastily made his way to his lovers side, he passed the man who greeted him respectfully.

"Saura." The NW said extending a hand in the rain.

"Kakashi." The ninja replied slightly coldly, he wasn't sure of the man yet, but his attention immediately snapped back to his lover, "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Did you have doubts?" Orochimaru asked impishly before letting his slim arms loop around the others neck in their embrace.

"yes, but I shouldn't have." Kakashi laughed, in that moment, he loved his partners die hard attitude, his immortal luck at living through the impossible.

"Thank you again, for everything. Will I see you tomorrow then?" Orochimaru said throwing his lit up eyes at the NW.

"Of course, if you need a lift just call." Saura said, "Goodbye."

The two ninja said their farewells to the man as he got back into his car and they got back under the motel roof. When they were back inside Kakashi asked his lover what had happened, although he also wanted to know who the man was, he decided to rather ask the Sannin about the nights events.

Already haven relayed the story once, Orochimaru was reluctant, but he never kept things from the copy ninja, and he wasn't about to do so now. He retold the story as they walked up the stairs, drenched and cold yet happy to be in one another's company again.

The Sannin kept details out, as they weren't important, and the copy ninja didn't ask many questions, as he knew anything of relevance the snake would have mentioned. They got to the room as Kakashi finally decided it was an appropriate time to ask the obvious.

"Who was he?" Kakashi asked, the Sannin flashed curios eyes.

"The man who dropped me off?" Orochimaru asked, "Saura, he introduced himself to you minutes ago."

"I have a name. Why did you call him in the booth?" Kakashi asked.

"He had a car and a phone, I wasn't sure of our motel number." Orochimaru answered.

"Then how did you call us earlier?" Kakashi said trying to make sense of the evasive words. Evasive only because the Sannin was used to being that way, stuck in old ways of being a certain nature. In no way did Kakashi feel his lover was hiding anything, they trusted one another fully.

"Saura found it somehow, he looked it up on his phone. I don't know how, but he managed it." Orochimaru said, "So I called you on his phone afterwards as soon as I could."

"…Why did you have his number?" Kakashi asked, he could see the golden eyed male was done with talking, they clicked the door open.

"I met him during an odd job and he gave me his numb-" Orochimaru was cut off as Tsukiko barrelled into him upon opening the door. The dog cried and whinnied in excitement his entire body worming around and spinning in tight uncontrollable circles in his mad hurry to greet his returned friend.

Once the dog had calmed down ever so slightly, Orochimaru dropped to one knee to address the dog more warmly.

"He lived." Hidan laughed, "No surprise there ey?"

"Good." Deidara said, "Did you kill them?"

"Who?" Orochimaru asked.

"The men who attacked you." Hidan answered.

"No, but they were hopefully eaten by the wild of the NW woods." Orochimaru said casually, as if he hadn't been kidnapped and almost killed.

Kakashi and Asuma found it all to be rather frightening a situation, a concerning matter which would be made a deal of. However the rogues were far to use to their harder and more on the run life style, as long as you lived, the incident was a story, not a tragedy. Kakashi wasn't finished asking about the NW named Saura but he let things go for the time being. They had other matters to address anyhow. One for that matter being attending to the obvious wounds the Sannin had most certainly acquired on his adventure into the heart of NW territory. Kakashi placed a gentle hand on his lovers waist to guide him closer and gain his attention.

"We have bandages." Kakashi said, "The guy at the desk came to drop more off when I asked him to refill the medical kit."

"I've already patched myself up love." Orochimaru said with a small smile, he knew how the copy ninja cared for his wellbeing. It was something the snake Sannin had never known or experienced before he met the Jounin. It was something that was hard to trust at first, but then even harder to distrust once you had fallen prey to believing the person was generally interested in the safety of another.

"Who patched you up, that Saura guy?" Kakashi asked, the Sannin watched his partner curiously.

"Yes." Orochimaru answered honestly.

Kakashi hid it well, but he already hated this man. Hated him even though he had been the one to save his lover from danger and then supply him with what he needed to get better quicker, to stay more comfortable during the healing process. It was jealousy, and Kakashi was no fool, he would not lie to himself. He had envy that this man was more capable than he was, was more able to help the person the copy ninja was supposed to in fact help. Orochimaru had called the NW, and perhaps only because of the circumstance that the Sannin had no means to contact his partner, but either way. It made the Jounin feel weak, feel incompetent. He would never let the snake see that, he knew Orochimaru would not tolerate such childish antics.

 _"What would you rather me do? You couldn't help me then, and that doesn't mean you're weak. What's weak is feeling pity on yourself because you're pride took a blow."_

He could hear his lover chastising him even mentally, he knew the serpent too well by now.

"Saura asked if we would all like to go over to him tomorrow. I thought it would be a good chance to get a better understanding of things around the city." Orochimaru said breaking the silence.

"Saura?" Deidara asked.

"The man who helped him." Kakashi said.

"And the one who keeps throwing money at us." Orochimaru said.

"Is he safe? We don't want another Yiara." Kakashi said, the Sannin's golden eyes fixed onto him.

"No, he is not the same as that man." Orochimaru said, "Yiara was far too blatant with his tactics. If anything I'd watch Saura more closely. He is less likely to overlook us as mere animals, he knows we are more dangerous than that."

"So he is more dangerous then, you take too many risks. Why in hells name would we trust that?" Asuma snapped, the Sannin wasn't in the mood for the man's tone, the tone he was almost always subject too when the man spoke to him. The serpent hissed in annoyance, the sound low and soft but blatantly obvious in its agitated meaning.

"You do not trust me Asuma, yet we can stand in the same room." Orochimaru said, "You do not need to trust the man, I'm not asking you to do anything that puts our lives in his hands."

Kakashi watched the slitted eyes which were now locked onto the man who had spoken out when the snake was already on edge. The copy ninja mentally thought of a hundred things to say, but he didn't say anything. If he told Asuma to calm down he would be choosing his lover over his friend. If he told the serpent to settle he would be putting the other Jounin over his partner. There was no real way to win, yet Deidara and Hidan made no move to end the feud before it started.

"Watch how you talk to people snake." Asuma said, "You have no right to be snappy."

"He has as much right as you." Deidara defended, Kakashi sighed, he didn't want Asuma to be ganged up on, and as it stood the snake was most certainly on the side with more allies. Both rogues more familiar with the legendary Sannin than they were with the Konoha Jounin. Tsukiko came to lean on the Sannin's legs defensively.

"No one should be snapping at anyone, I agree it sounds too risky, but we need to calm down we have bigger problems." Kakashi said, trying his best to not outright stand against the serpent.

"Those problems will never be sorted if we can't even handle the problems in our own home." Orochimaru said, "Believe me, my last team didn't do well ignoring our issues."

"Issues? You were the Sannin's biggest bloody issue." Asuma said, "If it wasn't for you team Hiruzen would still be together, and they'd still have their leader."

"How would you know what the problem of team Hiruzen was?" Orochimaru snapped, "Me was it? Funny, it couldn't possibly have been the fact that Jiraiya stayed behind against to raise war orphans which predictably became Konoha's biggest threat, nor could it be the fact that Tsunade lost her fiancé on Hiruzen's orders. Your father wasn't a saint, you only saw the good, and I'm there was lots of it. But believe me there is a dark side to the moon and there was a dark side to that man. Whatever you don't know about him I could fill in the blanks, although I'm sure you wouldn't want me to taint your precious fathers honour."

"Fuck you." Asuma snapped.

"Ah, a wonderfully intelligent response." Orochimaru said, "You know what, you don't need me to tell you the bad parts about your father, you're a spitting image of him."

"That's enough!" Kakashi said pulling his lover away from the man, his initial fear was that Asuma may indeed attack the serpent. After all the snake was far from able to defend himself without jutsu.

"Calm Asuma down. He started this." Deidara snapped shoving Kakashi away from his friend. Kakashi glared at the smaller blond ninja, due to his rash temper he had made it look as if Kakashi was acting against the serpent rather than breaking up a fight. He could see the slight betrayal echoing behind the more visible anger in his partners eyes. Orochimaru brushed hair away from his face gently and placed a reassuring hand on Tsukiko, who had remained silent despite the fur on the back of his neck bristling up.

Hidan started laughing hysterically as he walked away, evidently not seeing the matter as compromising but rather more as hilarious. The sound of two voices neared the door and soon a light knock bounced into the room. Asuma moved to the door quickly and opened it as if he knew who the people were, which after a few moments the snake realized the man truly did. Shikamaru and Ino entered the dingy motel and met eyes with the serpent.

"You're here." Shikamaru said, the Sannin respected the Nara. He was un-judgmental, probably due to his laziness, but if it was one thing, the Chunin never assumed things about people. He did not listen to stories, what he did not understand he would not jump to conclusions about. Same went for the Sannin, he did not know the snake summoners story, notably no one did, and because of that he reserved his judgment for the day he finally did.

"And what a pleasure it's been." Orochimaru said, his evident sarcasm drenching his words, he moved off to his and Deidara's room, Tsukiko and the blond ninja both doing the same. The door closed behind them in an evident display of warning others to keep out. Hidan exited the kitchen with some sort of drink in his hand and leant against the wall.

"You're in relationship crises now my friend." He said looking at Kakashi.

"Yeah thanks for the help back there by the way." Kakashi said, how much easier it would have been if Hidan had chosen to break up the fight.

"I left it to you, believe me, he would have been equally as pissed off if you had stood idly by not supporting him." Hidan said, "Notably standing against him was far worse, but still, I tried man."

"Kakashi doesn't have to support him if he is wrong. That's not how a relationship works." Asuma defended.

"But he wasn't wrong, maybe he wasn't entirely right, but you initiated the fight he was just defending himself." Hidan said, "Meaning Kakashi unintentionally chose you, even though you were wrong and started the whole thing to begin with."

"Bullshit." Asuma said, "You rogues have your own messed up ways of viewing things. Due to his past decisions he has no ground to stand on. Doesn't matter who started it at that moment, he started it when he chose to kill the innocent."

"The fuck does that mean?" Hidan laughed, "So what? Because I killed a guy once, who in your mind was innocent, I now don't get any rights?"

"That's how the law works isn't it." Asuma snapped.

"This isn't important." Kakashi said trying to stop the fight once more.

"What do you mean it isn't important?" Hidan chuckled, "I have no fucking rights now?"

"No one said that." Kakashi said.

"Asuma just did." Hidan said.

"What the hell happened?" Ino snapped she seemed annoyed at the arguing she couldn't engage in.

"Nothing, leave it. The people from Konoha have little to no sense. If you don't mind I start work today, I'll leave you lot to sort your own petty differences out." Hidan said as he moved to the door, he brushed his short white hair back into place to make it look slightly more neat before shutting the door behind him. Kakashi shook his head and walked away from the scene to stand by the window gazing out at the city below. Ino and Shikamaru stayed by their teachers side, seeing as he was evidently also out of character, visibly showing signs of his anger. He calmed down almost instantly when he met eyes with his two students. The light sound of Deidara and Orochimaru murmuring could be heard, their words were not audible but they sounded annoyed, and Kakashi could easily pick out his lovers voice from the blonds. He sounded less angry now, more soft, even despondent. He knew that was a bad thing, he knew the serpent would withdraw into himself when he was let down.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hidan had been asked to stay a later shift than he had expected, he had called the house to let them all know he wasn't dying in some ditch but rather earning a bit of extra money, and that the group could thank him later. Asuma had once more returned home unsuccessful and without luck of finding a job. Orochimaru had helped Deidara search for a possible job, but they only found a temporary one. It was a good start for while the ninja waited to find a more secure position. Orochimaru had ignored the copy ninja all day, and Kakashi hadn't been keen on engaging in conversation with the snake. Shikamaru told the team he had found some lowly job not far from the motel, while Ino stated she was in the same boat as Asuma.

It was late in the afternoon and the two feminine rogues exited their room. They ignored the other ninja mostly out of being too wrapped up in their conversation. They were both smiling Kakashi noted, evidently Deidara had managed to cheer the snake up when they were out looking for work.

When they got to the door, Tsukiko loyally right beside them, Kakashi decided he would have to ask the two where they thought they would go when it was getting dark again outside.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked, he wasn't in a good mood and he struggled to hide the mild irritation in his voice. However snakes were sensitive creatures by nature, small sounds boomed, no hiding place was out of sight, no scent hard to dissect from another and most of all any energy projected would ricochet through their entire beings.

"To Saura." Orochimaru said disinterestedly.

"Alone?" Kakashi asked.

"He will pick us up. We won't be walking in the streets if that's what you mean." Orochimaru replied.

"That's not what I mean." Kakashi said, "You're entering an NW's house alone?"

"No. Deidara is accompanying me." Orochimaru said.

"What's he going to bring to a fight?" Asuma snapped.

"Ah see, therein lies the difference. We don't plan on fighting anyone, unlike _some_ people in this room we can control our tempers." Orochimaru said with a fake smile, his notion of mocking the larger man once again blatant.

"And how do you know the other people in the room can control themselves?" Kakashi asked.

"Leave them." Asuma said, "Some people have to make the same mistake ten times before they learn."

"Evidently." Orochimaru said his eyes locked onto the two larger ninja, "Enjoy your night stagnating here, we are going to learn more about what we are up against."

The two ninja exited the motel room, their long hair once again competing as it swished behind them gracefully. Dark against light for once working harmoniously. They got to the street and a car soon pulled up beside them, the familiar machine still seemingly angry with its slanted headlights. Orochimaru slipped in the back seat beside Deidara to ensure the blond didn't feel alone. Naturally Deidara wasn't the type to feel over whelmed in new places. It was then that the sudden thought occurred to the Sannin. Rogues just seemed to work better alongside each other than they did with the ninja who chose to stay in their home towns.

Authors note- Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Huge thank you's to those who comment. I love hearing what you have to say about the story and its progression. Wish me luck with the next chapter, I really need to stay on time with these things…

~Hourglass8


	6. Flip a coin

_"I think a lot of psychopaths are just geniuses who drove so fast that they lost control."_

The two feminine ninja pulled up at the house fearlessly. They didn't once take in the risks that involved their idea, or more so, they knew full well the risks, but they did not worry about them. They were over confident. Tsukiko sat on the floor of the car awkwardly, but he refused to sit on the seat. Saura was polite a usual, he kept conversation amusing and light hearted as he helped them out the car.

"What happened to your other friend?" Saura asked as they entered the garden, the design simple yet classy even in the dark. The path was lit up by floor lights as was a small fountain and pond in the distance. Orochimaru had over looked the beauty of the man's house in the rain. Once again, the word house wasn't accurate enough. It was large and soon enough the two ninja realized the small front opened up to an much larger interior.

"He didn't feel up to coming." Orochimaru answered. Saura seemed to read into the response more.

"Weird." He said it softly but the serpent heard it.

"What is?" Orochimaru asked.

"Nothing, never mind I was just thinking out loud." Saura said laughing lightly trying to brush off the comment.

"Were you talking about Kakashi not being here? It's no offence to you, he just doesn't want to be out again tonight after last time I think." Orochimaru lied.

"No offence taken... It's just... Is he okay leaving you here all alone?" Saura asked.

"Should he be worried about me being here?" Orochimaru asked with a small smile coming onto his lips, "are we not safe?"

"You are safe of course, but he doesn't know that. I just thought he would be a bit more protective is all, especially after last night." Saura said, "forget I said that, I'm sorry. I'm sure he is just certain your safe."

The NW tried to be subtle about his comment, tried to make sure he wasn't speaking out of line. Evidently however he wasn't impressed that the copy ninja was once again not around.

"Definitely nothing like Yiara." Deidara commented.

"Everyone is only going to arrive in an hour or so." Saura called from inside the house, "make yourself comfortable if you need anything let me know."

"I've been here before." Orochimaru said politely, "I'll show Deidara around."

"Of course-" he then paused, "are you two alright in those clothes? You look like you just got out of the holding cells."

It was only then that the two ninja realized the clothing may one day give them away. Tsukiko bounded past them as he explored the house.

"We were released a few days ago." Deidara answered, "we haven't had a chance to go and get new clothes."

"Well as I said, parties in an hour or so. We could stop by the shop before they close?" Saura offered.

Deciding they hardly wanted to be caught due to their clothes they agreed politely. Saura picked up his car keys again and they followed him into the roaring machine once more before shortly arriving at a largish store with bright lights flashing the stores name. They had left the hound behind as he wasn't keen on the drive, he was however keen on the large couch he made himself at home on.

"Go pick out whatever you want, I'll pay." Saura said to them both, Deidara didn't see it as a problem and was rather eager to get free comfortable clothes. Orochimaru however was counting up just how much he felt he owed the man. He supposed it was unavoidable as he browsed the isles with Deidara.

"Cheer up will you." Deidara said throwing playful blue eyes at his friend, "you don't owe anyone anything unless you ask. If they're giving it for nothing that's their problem."

Orochimaru watched his friend curiously, how long exactly had they been friends for now. Clearly the blond had become closer than the snake acknowledged as he was now able to read him.

Orochimaru brushed black strands out of his face, "you're right, I just don't like the idea of it. Konoha teaches you not to accept help from apparent generous people."

"Well you're not in Konoha anymore." Deidara said, "now try this on, it'll match your eyes."

The ex-Akatsuki member tossed a purple top at the serpent.

"Thanks." He said taking the shirt and placing it over his arm before taking a pair of black skinny-jeans and heading to a curtained off room. Saura politely browsed other isles giving the two their space.

Orochimaru haphazardly climbed into the new clothes to ensure they fit. When he was satisfied he returned to his other outfit and exited the changing room. Deidara exited moments later with his usual confident smile.

"Happy?" Deidara asked.

"About?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Can't you answer my question without another question for once?" Deidara said.

"Phrase your questions better then." Orochimaru replied with an amused smile.

"Fine." Deidara relinquished, "I'm just going to assume you're happy, won't get an answer from you anyway."

With that the blond moved over to the till, Saura came up when he saw they were finished.

"That was quick." He commented, "I expected you to take a lot longer."

"It's not the most difficult task." Orochimaru replied.

Saura swiped a card at the desk and the ninja behind the till thanked him for his support to the business. Orochimaru swore he recognized the man, something familiar. Ninja were hard to recognize out of their Jounin uniform he thought, but still he couldn't help but notice that the ninja recognized him as well. To be fair, the man most certainly knew who Orochimaru was, he was infamous, or now more famous due to rescuing and saving many ninja. The man continued to watch him almost hopefully.

Deidara didn't notice it in the slightest but finally Orochimaru decided he would rather be safe than sorry.

"Have we met?" He asked as Saura and Deidara exited the shop.

"No Orochimaru-sama, I joined the Hidden Sound just before the attack by the NW's the first time. I never got a chance to work for you on missions." The man said, he seemed ecstatic that he was noticed despite his lack of appearance in the village.

Orochimaru hadn't heard someone refer to him as "sama" in months, it almost felt odd now. He didn't feel as if in his current state, he was even worthy of the title. He would get respect once he took his future out of the hands of elitists. He didn't get to reply, instead a man barged in from the back door and halted beside the ninja at the till.

"It's illegal to speak about your past life as a ninja." The man spat, "this is your second offense."

"It's not illegal to speak of one's past, it doesn't state prohibition of speech anywhere in your laws." Orochimaru hissed, the man looked at the snake angrily.

"What makes you think you can speak back to me ninja?" He snapped.

"Is something wrong?" Saura asked as he came in, he saw the man aggressively standing by the slim male and he instinctively got in between them.

"Apparently ninja aren't allowed to speak anymore." Orochimaru hissed.

"That's a sure way to lose your job." Saura warned, "do you own this place?"

"No-no-I." The man hadn't expected the NW of apparent high status to show up out of nowhere.

"Just the manager then?" Saura interrupted, he looked at the mans name on his small tagged shirt and pulled out a small device. He typed the name into the cellphone, which seemed foreign to the ninja and pocketed it.

"If I hear one more complaint or racist remark from you you'll lose your job, and if I so chose you could well enough lose a lot more." Saura said.

"I'd say this is your first offence sir. Best not make another." Orochimaru said with a polite smile, the man apologized and waited for the two to leave.

The Sannin then jotted down the motel number on a notepad by the ninja at the till.

"For your loyalty years ago." Orochimaru said, "if you need anything, you can still call for my aid."

The ninja watched with renewed hopeful eyes. Loyalty wasn't something Orochimaru expected from anyone, he never gave anyone the trust that they would remain loyal, however when he saw the glimmer of it he was always one to reward it. He used to grant his men power, since that was not an option in his current state he would be that power in the physical manifestation.

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama." The man said gratefully as he watched the serpent slip out the door with Saura behind him. They were in the dark parking lot, Deidara sat in the drivers seat waiting for them, his hands on the wheel.

"Hey Saura, is it hard to drive one of these?" Deidara asked, unaffected as he was more than used to Orochimaru's fights, the snake always managed to create some sort of scene. Perhaps because he never held his tongue. He said what he wanted to say.

"No it's easy enough once you get the hang of it." Saura said, "I could teach you both sometime if you'd like."

Orochimaru's golden eyes sparked at the idea, cars were a new means of freedom and although he despised technology he knew he wouldn't be much good to ninja kind remaining petty. He would usually travel more naturally, but he was stripped of his old abilities and it was not an option.

"We'd love that." Orochimaru said, Saura seemed to perk up at the enthusiasm, he had been trying hard to earn the serpents approval.

"Great, you'd need to get a license but you can apply online." Saura said, "in the meanwhile I can give you lessons."

Orochimaru wasn't sure about the technicalities so he merely agreed, he would do what he needed to do. He didn't exactly know what online meant but he agreed regardless.

"You should really get cellphones, especially you." Saura laughed, referring to snakes high risk rate.

"We have a motel phone." Deidara said, "... Although I think Hidan broke it the idiot."

"Home phones aren't practical for people like you, you're on the move all the time, you can't keep a home phone on you." Saura stated as he allowed the blond to move over to the back seat with the Sannin.

They drove to the house and pulled up in to the garage once more. Tsukiko greeted them with his usual excitement mainly focusing on the Sannin who showered him with affection. Orochimaru then showed his friend where the bathroom was and they slipped into their new less conspicuous outfits.

"He seems nice." Deidara said as he brushed his fringe into place.

"He hasn't done anything worth being concerned over yet." Orochimaru agreed, Deidara watched the Sannin brush his hair over to one side gracefully before moving to the door.

"He can count himself lucky then." Deidara laughed, "that's the nicest thing you've ever said about a stranger."

Orochimaru threw him playful eyes before walking out the bathroom, "you seem to like him Deidara."

"He isn't a ninja." Deidara laughed, he then trotted to his friends side before over taking him down the hall, "besides- he seems to fancy you."

Orochimaru watched his friends back, he didn't much care about who fancied him, after all he fancied Kakashi.

Who he had really hoped would have apologized and come with. He could see his own reflection in the glass windows as he passed. The top hung low exposing his shoulders and neck. He could feel the cold blow past but for once it didn't bother him as much as it usually would have. What bothered him most was the fact that he had no one beside him.

He pushed the thought aside, he didn't need Kakashi, he didn't need anyone to stand beside him. He was perfectly capable of handling himself. Suddenly loud voices exploded into the house echoing the hallways. The men who had entered so boisterously were evidently excitable as they greeted Saura with their ear abusive yells.

"What? How are we the first ones here?" One of the men asked as he came to plant himself on the couch, his eyes then skidded over to the two ninja who had just exited the hallway and entered the lounge area. Tsukiko scampered to the Sannin and looked between all the men, he seemed uneasy. He had never gotten used to crowds, his time on the street teaching him that men more often than not wished to harm him.

"Who are these two lovely newcomers?" The second man asked, "Saura introduce us will you."

Saura did just that, he introduced every man to the two long haired shinobi and they greeted politely, both upholding their natural confidence despite being vastly outnumbered by NW men. More of Saura's friends arrived as the hour progressed, far more than Deidara and Orochimaru had expected. The house was full of snobbish women and loud inappropriate men, or else pathetically fake individuals who tried to act classy.

"The next man to hit on me is getting stabbed." Orochimaru hissed to the blond ninja, Deidara laughed and bent behind him to reach a glass.

"Get yourself a drink Oro-chan." Deidara mocked with a playful smile, Saura had just pulled up beside them as the blond spoke.

"Oro-chan, that suits you, makes you a bit more approachable." Saura laughed. Orochimaru passed him bemused eyes.

"I think I'm a little too approachable already." Orochimaru stated honestly his golden eyes flicking to the man approaching them.

"Hi, I'm-" The man was cut off as he reached out a friendly hand to shake the Sannin's.

"Not interested sorry." Orochimaru said automatically, the man appeared shocked but he moved on without saying much more. Saura chuckled, then topped up the Sannin's drink.

"Glad I don't know that guy." Saura said.

"Then why is he here?" Deidara asked, "Did he just walk in? We can get rid of him if you want us to. We have our ways."

"It's an open invitation, and my guests bring guests who bring guests. They're invited, I just don't know them is all." Saura laughed slightly tipsy himself, "I take it ninja sort out their problems with violence?"

"Mostly." Orochimaru said, "Or at least the best of us do."

"Saura, who are your two friends?" A man asked, he had dark hair and a constant smirk on his face, the moment his hazy blue eyes landed on the snake the Sannin felt uncomfortable.

"Oro-chan, Deidara, this is Imperial Satoru." Saura introduced, "he is one of the highest leading imperials on the New World front."

"Proudly." Satoru said confidence bordering on vanity, the man loomed above both ninja, his physical stature alone was enough to earn him a high rank. He was as tall as he was muscular, and it was evident that Deidara was also uncomfortable. Orochimaru's eyes remained fixed and composed. However, he was for once rather glad Saura had introduced him with the slightly demeaning name "chan" as it had hidden his identity. He knew that the last city he and his team had destroyed was a small one, but that didn't mean news didn't travel. Since he was the leading figure in the NW attack and defeat, imperials were bound to have heard his name. Perhaps his face was still unknown, but they certainly knew of the Sannin's name.

Being famous was hardly what anyone wanted when they were trying to get away with the same feat once more. The man's eyes lingered on the Sannin, and Orochimaru could have sworn the man was on to him, he then allowed that fear to fall away when the imperial spoke again.

"It'll never cease to amaze me just how different ninja are, you're eyes are much like a snake. You are a ninja correct, let me see your marks." The imperial said suddenly.

Deidara politely showed his wrist, the Sannin did so reluctantly. The man then caught sight of the Sannin's snake summoning tattoo and lost interest in the marks placed by the NW's.

"What's that?" The man asked.

"A mark from my time as a ninja." Orochimaru said briefly.

"I'm knowledgeable in ninja and jutsu, that's a summoning contract." Satoru said, "For what, what was your familiar?"

"It was for-" Orochimaru was about to lie, he wasn't giving away anything which could reveal himself as the last successor over the NW army.

"Snakes correct? I've done my research. I specialise in the military, I find ways of defeating your jutsu." Satoru stated, "I know most things, I'm yet to fully understand the forbidden arts. I'm yet to capture a ninja who uses them, know of anyone?"

The man never gave anyone a chance to speak or answer it seemed, he would answer his own questions. The Sannin was fine with that.

"What is a summoning contract?" Saura asked curiously.

"Ninja summon animals and creatures to aid them in battle. Apparently they come from a different place, if the summoner can defeat the lead creature of his choice he can use that being in battle." Satoru said, his tone making it seem as if the idea was ludicrous yet true, "Dogs are common, so are birds for that matter. However summonings like dragons and snakes can be more complex as the creatures are less co-operative."

"So you used snakes? Are they any good in battle, they seem awfully small compared to a dragon." Saura said, his lack of knowledge obvious the more he spoke.

"Don't be fooled, you must see these beasts Saura. Sometime I'll show you, we have photo's, actually- I'll show you now, where is your phone." Satoru said, Saura passed the imperial the phone. The imperial typed into the device with haste and then showed the screen to the other NW.

"Look how monstrous that is. His name is Manda, he is the largest of the snakes, we've never seen any ninja able to control him." Satoru said, "We have him in one of our bases, he destroys whatever he can but we've managed to detain him. Took us months, but enough tranquilisers and he was defeated. Do you know how many drones and tanks he got through? He destroyed a small city. He possess jutsu as well, isn't it strange, even their animals are capable of such things."

Orochimaru watched the man with slitted eyes, how dare the bastard detain the king of the snakes. Manda may have spewed cutting words, he may have acted detached but the Sannin had a bond with the creature.

He knew of Manda's pride, knew every second he was detained was probably crushing his very soul and reducing him to a shell of himself. The Sannin was closed to grabbing the closest knife around and holding it to the man's throat, close to demanding the serpent be freed. A few months ago, he would have had the ability to do so, but he was jutsu-less, he was weak.

"Could you summon snakes the size of that one?" Saura asked the Sannin, Orochimaru was avoiding lying too much, the imperial knew a lot about jutsu, he may catch out false information.

"Manda is the largest snake summoning." Orochimaru said, "The snakes I summoned were almost his size, but not quite."

"Saura, bring your friends over here, we need more players!" a man called. Orochimaru was grateful for the distraction, he didn't want to talk to the imperial any longer. He had come to get information, but what he heard was distressing. Deidara knew it had affected his friend.

"Pleasure meeting you." Deidara said as he slipped off, the imperial nodded, but he held a look in his eyes that once more made the two shinobi unsure of where they stood. They could see he didn't feel his business was concluded, they knew they'd see him again.

"we'll free Manda." Deidara assured his friend, his blue eyes locked onto the snakes lowered golden ones with sympathy.

"We'll free them all." Orochimaru replied as his gaze shifted into something more calculating and unnerving. The blond didn't feel unnerved, he had grown to fully trust that the serpent would not bite his helping hand.

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"We should call in and check on them." Kakashi said, Asuma passed him a bored glance.

"Why? They're so sure they can manage it, leave them to it." Asuma replied, Shikamaru and Ino sat beside their teacher talking until they caught word of what the two Jounin were talking about.

Kakashi watched Asuma with slightly irritated eyes now, he wished the man would simply accept the snake ninja, at the end of the last war, Asuma had saved the Sannin at one point, and in that moment the copy ninja had thought they were finally at peace with each other. But those good terms went up in smoke when they returned to a stable village. They had been tense around one another, and then upon the second NW it seemed they were once more at each other's throats. Kakashi recalled asking Kisame what he should do when he was forced to decide between Konoha and the rogue Sannin. Thankfully, it never came to that, thankfully the rest of the village had accepted the serpent. Looking at Asuma and Orochimaru together however made Kakashi feel as if he had just put two wolves in a cage together, and was now foolishly expecting them not to try and kill one another.

"I know you don't like him, but your negativity on every matter isn't helping." Kakashi said, his friend turned irritated eyes on him.

"And I suppose running off alone spitefully is very beneficial?" Asuma replied, "Orochimaru does his own thing, I'm not saying he will turn against us… or you at least, but he does his own thing. He doesn't consult us, he just acts on a whim. It's all he's known so fine, I won't change him. But I don't want that on my team."

"You don't want him on our team?" Kakashi snapped, the words cut him possibly more than they would have cut the Sannin, "So we should what? Tell him to fuck off."

The copy ninja wasn't one for vulgar language, he refrained from being improper or getting angry. However, somehow being in the foreign land always brought out the worst in him. His temper flared when he knew the safety of his loved ones were in danger. He hated the thought, and he hated being powerless to stop it all.

"If I had my way Kakashi, that's exactly what I would do." Asuma said, Shikamaru and Ino passed one another worried glances. They had never seen their teacher in such an angered state before. They had never seen him so hateful towards another human being. Then again, they had noticed their teacher hardly saw the serpent as human at all.

"You're a great friend. Truly couldn't be more lucky." Kakashi muttered coldly, the other Jounin stood up to move to the kitchen.

"You chose the Sannin over us Hatake, juts remember I hated that snake before you loved him." Asuma said as he turned for the kitchen.

"Is this about your father again? We all lost parents Asuma and yours was the Hokage, he knew his position put him in danger." Kakashi hadn't meant to offend his friend as much as he managed to when he brought up Hiruzen's death. The copy ninja however had been living closely with the snake for a long time now, and although the Sannin never opened up and retold his past story or explained his reasoning for doing what he did, he often accidently dropped hints. Kakashi knew there had been motive and reason for the Sannin to do what he had done. He knew that somehow the snake would reveal his reasons for his decisions and that perhaps it would open up a new story as Itachi had when his lie was discovered. However Asuma didn't interpret his comrades words as such, he saw them as a direct insult to his father's death and his grief for it.

Asuma approached the copy ninja with intolerable eyes. He got closer than manners would allow for, it was obvious a fight would break out if the copy ninja didn't rectify his words. Kakashi didn't want to stand against his friend.

"What the hell does that mean?" Asuma asked.

"Your father was a great man." Kakashi said taking a step back to show he wasn't accepting the challenge, "Forget I said anything, sorry."

The door slammed open and the two Chunin on the couch jumped as tensions in the room had already unsettled their nerves. Hidan walked in with his usual slightly deranged smile. He felt the odd energy and placed a packet down on the table.

"I got food. What's happening now?" Hidan asked.

"Nothing." Kakashi replied back to his composed self, the other three members in the room knew however that it was simply a well-crafted façade of calm.

"Seems like it." Hidan stated unconvinced, he didn't dwell on it, the man never really cared about others affairs too much, "Where are the other two?"

"They went to the party." Ino said.

"Alone?" Hidan asked, he shook his head, "There a uh… reason nobody went with them?"

"They don't need us there." Asuma snapped. He walked out the door leaving his students and friend in his angered wake. Hidan cussed something at him after laughing at the man's evident lack of control.

"We need to get that man some sort of drug, I'm not putting up with his shit." Hidan laughed, "Anyway, foods here. I got paid extra as well because I worked my co-workers shift."

"You must be exhausted." Shikamaru said to the immortal, he looked at the shorter male with a maddened smile as he sat down on the couch slightly chaotically.

"nah." Hidan said, "Jobs easy, and I don't have to sit down, I run around delivering stuff, lot of freaks out there I tell you."

Kakashi left the three ninja to their conversation. He had little interest in it. He regretted not following his lover out, but he regretted upsetting his friend as well. Asuma's words stung him once more.

 _"You chose the Sannin over us Hatake, juts remember I hated that snake before you loved him."_

The words were harsh but true, naturally no one had control over who they loved, but that didn't stop the fact that Kakashi went through with sleeping beside one of his closest friends enemies. Truth be told he had made that choice knowing full well it would be something Asuma would hate. Then again, love was never a choice and neither was circumstance.

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Orochimaru and Deidara sat at the round table beside Saura and three other men. All of which were already tipsy, the Sannin wouldn't lie to himself, due to his bad goodbye to his lover he had drunken a bit too much himself. He was still in control of himself but he certainly felt less inhibited, and more inclined to simply drink more.

"The game is simple, it's called sip or strip." One man said as he placed a coin in the middle of the table, "You flip a coin and call either heads or tails. If you guessed right pass the coin to the person on the right of you. If you guess wrong pass the coin to the person on your left and either remove one piece of clothing or take a shot."

"I'll go first." Deidara said, he flipped the coin then called his bet, "heads!"

The coin spun to a stop revealing the tails side of its metallic betrayal. The ninja cussed playfully and took a shot, clearly not too keen on the idea of removing any clothes. He passed the coin to his left which was now Saura. Saura took the coin and flipped it.

"Tails." He said, the coin spun and landed as the NW had guessed, the tails sign once more revealed. Saura laughed and handed the coin back to Deidara who sat on his right.

"Misfortunate cycle Deidara." The Sannin chuckled to him, the blond threw playfully annoyed eyes at him.

"Better get this one right so you can get a turn ey Oro-chan?" Deidara said as he tossed the coin, "heads."

This time the coin showed heads and Deidara smugly handed the coin over to the Sannin who sat on his right. Orochimaru held confidence as he tossed the coin adding a simple, " _tails_ " as it entered the air. It rolled dramatically before betraying the Sannin entirely as it landed on heads.

"It's targeting all the pretty people." One man laughed, Orochimaru's confidence turned into mild frustration, he wasn't a fan of being wrong. He was used to winning at drinking games as Tsunade had always been terribly unlucky and Jiraiya always made tactless moves which resulted in Tsunade bashing him into semi-unconsciousness. He decided he would rather take a shot as Deidara had.

"Come on you two, alcohol is bad for you." The man beside Orochimaru said, "there's another option you know."

Orochimaru handed the coin back to Deidara, "The best of luck."

Deidara flipped it and called heads, but it landed on tails and he was forced to take another shot before handing the coin to Saura. Saura flipped it and called wrong as well, he took a shot despite already being drunk enough as it was.

"Ah Saura you screwed me." The man who received the coin said, Orochimaru recalled his name being Venron. Venron took the coin and flipped it, it skidded to a halt and he cursed. He then took a shot and gave the coin to a NW man named Kelur. Kelur grabbed the coin eagerly.

"I never lose." He boasted, but he proved his own words wrong when he called heads and the coin revealed tails. The man who was on his left, who was named Dias, grabbed the coin with a smug smile.

"You over sell yourself Kelur." He flipped the coin calling tails but it landed on heads, he handed it to Orochimaru who was on his left. He then removed his jacket, "I'll set a trend, stop taking shots already."

His amused eyes landed on the snake Sannin when he spoke, the serpent watched him with his usual calculating eyes, Saura seemed to be watching him as well. Orochimaru grabbed the coin, called heads and tossed it gracefully, it did small circles on the table before stopping on tails. He sighed and removed his earing's, one pair of clothing counted as one piece so he removed them both.

"Happy." He smiled at the man beside him, it was obvious Dias hadn't noticed the snake had earing's, as his long jet black hair covered it. He still seemed satisfied that the Sannin had a more laid back streak in him. Deidara took the coin and tossed it calling tails, it landed on tails and he happily handed it back to the serpent. Orochimaru tossed the coin once more and found he was wrong again, he took a shot. Deidara took the coin again and flipped it, he guessed right and handed it over to the serpent with a satisfied smile.

"All I have to do it get it right and you'll be out in no time." Deidara laughed.

"Such a lovely friend I have." Orochimaru said with a playful smile his golden eyes glistening in the dimly lit room. The game had taken his mind off matters at home, either that or the shots were finally catching up to him. He was pretty sure if he had any more alcohol he would never remember the night come the next morning.

He tossed the coin and called it wrong once more. He wasn't all too impressed with his luck, but his eyes could no longer focus on an object as his mind was slowly controlled by the poison he ingested. He took one more shot, but he could feel he was now passing his limit. He handed the coin back to Deidara but the blonds luck seemed to be planning on staying. Orochimaru found the coin kept bouncing back into his hands and he couldn't afford to take in any more alcohol. He had removed his shoes and socks already, Dias cheered for him to rather take off his shirt than drink, the other two men agreed. Saura was hesitant to encourage the snake to remove it, so he kept his mouth closed rather. Deidara apologised for his luck, but finally the Sannin managed to call it right. He couldn't quite tell in his inebriated state whether he had gotten it right or not, but he realized he had when Deidara cheered for him.

"Well done Oro-chan!" The blond said as Orochimaru gave the coin to Dias who sat on his right. Dias flipped it and called it right, he then handed the coin to the person on his right. Kelur got it wrong and the coin landed back in front of Dias who managed to guess right once more. Kelur passed the coin on to Venron who passed it on to Saura, who then passed it back to Venron who was then forced to hand it over to Dias again.

Dias guessed wrong and gave the coin to Orochimaru after removing his shirt. Orochimaru flipped it clumsily, his grace slowly leaving him as the alcohol controlled his senses. He called tails and watched as the coin revealed he was correct. He handed it back to Dias, who got it wrong again and took a shot. Orochimaru flipped it and called it wrong, so he handed it over to his blond friend. The night progressed and the group was lost in the game becoming increasingly drunker as the night went on. Everyone at the table found that they had their shirts off by the time a loud crash banged down the halls. Saura looked behind him as two men attacked one another. That was where the groups game ended, the six of them rose from their chairs and came closer to the brawl. Some men cheered, Tsukiko barked out of anxious excitement and other guests yelled for the men to stop. Saura and Dias were the two who came up, as shirtless as they were to remove the men. They did it haphazardly as they were beyond tipsy now.

Orochimaru watched as the two NW men separated and ended the fight removing both men and placing them in separate rooms to calm down. It wasn't long before one of the men who had initiated the fight, came storming out. He grabbed his jacket and went to sit outside. It was cold, but the group who had been drinking slightly too much couldn't feel it. Orochimaru felt someone touch his shoulder and he turned around to face the man, it was Satoru and he seemed highly interested in something.

"I'm going to be leaving shortly." The imperial said, he knew full well that the Sannin was drunk, however the snake was completely unaware that he was, as intoxicated people generally were, "I was hoping to catch a word with you?"

"Alright." Orochimaru agreed. The imperial lead him to the courtyard, the Sannin even when drunk wanted to find his shirt but he struggled to remember where he had put it. The imperial handed him his large jacket and the Sannin settled into it, the man's sleeves burying his hands.

"I have many questions about summonings." Satoru explained, "And I have a feeling that you know a lot more than you gave off in our last conversation. Help me in my facility, it will be a secret pact. You help me discover more about your people, in return for your jutsu. Of course we will have to bind you to being loyal, and when you are not working with us your chakara will be revoked."

Orochimaru's uneasy eyes skittered in the darkness of the night, he couldn't do a good job of masking his true feelings of matters. Not in his drunken state.

"I don't want to help the NW's." Orochimaru said honestly.

"It's simply bringing forth a new understanding." The imperial said, "What we don't know we fear… perhaps you can help us eradicate that fear by creating a better understanding."

"You'll use that knowledge to hurt us." Orochimaru said, he held his head as he felt himself start to shake. He wasn't feeling at his best, his body felt as if it wanted to crash.

"Don't rush into any decisions now." Satoru said, "But why not visit our facility, here's my number."

"What do you want me to tell you?" Orochimaru asked.

"I just need jutsu's explained, I need to know how you do it, how you train for it. I want to know your personal experience as being a ninja." The imperial said, "Its simple questions with simple answers that I can only get from a ninja who has a good grasp of most jutsu. What elements were you?"

"All of them." Orochimaru answered, he would regret his honesty by the morning if he even remembered it. Their conversation continued and Orochimaru answered the questions the man asked. He couldn't make out what the man was asking even though he was answering the questions all the same. It was only when the man finally seemed to be majorly enticed that the Sannin slightly snapped out of his drunken haze. He couldn't remember what he had last said.

"I know this little arrangement will work out." The imperial said. He started leading the Sannin inside again. Orochimaru asked the man what he had said but the words never formed and he found himself holding onto the side of the courtyard door the world eventually going black within split seconds.

Authors note- There is the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, let me know in the comments. Thanks so much for those who leave reviews, as always a major huge thank you to Vampierdoll666! ~Hourglass8


	7. Fight or Flight

"Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again...even though every time you've tried before you've lost."

Orochimaru woke up feeling as if someone was smacking into him with a hammer. His head screamed its pain and he almost felt partially dead to the outside world sounds because of it. His eyes took a few moments to get on board with his apparent hang over.

The Sannin felt something warm beside him and instantly shifted away in discomfort before discovering it was Tsukiko's furry body neatly tucked beside his.

When the dog saw his friend was awake his tail wagged happily his eyes lighting up. Orochimaru pulled the dog closer again as his fingers slipped through the canines fur. He didn't know where he was, the room foreign. Sunlight cascaded through the cracks of the blinds, but ultimately didn't light up much of the room. The Sannin sat up slowly after giving himself a few minutes to get a hold of himself. He then brushed his fingers through his hair and returned it to its usual immaculate self.

He got out from the sheets and entered the hall which he now recognized. He navigated the house until he arrived at the lounge where Tsukiko happily hopped onto the couch beside Deidara who was originally siting there.

"You're alive." Deidara said to his friend as he pet the dog who greeted him.

"Barely." Orochimaru admitted, every sound in the room had his mind mentally shattering.

"You drank a bit too much I'd say." Deidara laughed, his eyes were equally as out of it.

"And you?" Orochimaru asked. The blond laughed but ultimately could never lie for his reputation.

"I was as smashed as you." Deidara admitted, "although I at least didn't black out..."

Orochimaru couldn't remember the previous night at all. He had no recollection of half of it. He could recall everything prior to the drinking game, but after that it was a blacked out blur of unsureness.

He vaguely remembered the courtyard, but he struggled to recollect exactly what had happened. Who had he been speaking to? Saura exited the kitchen and leant on the open arch doors frame.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with genuine interest.

"I've been better." Orochimaru admitted.

"The morning after is never anyone's favourite time if day." Saura chuckled, "I made breakfast if you're ready to eat."

The two ninja agreed readily. The servings were far more elaborate than either ninja expected. Even back in the village, they were used to simple living. The variety was astounding and made the ninja feel as if they were at buffet rather than a friends house. Two ninja exited the kitchen humbly, they must have been paid work. Notably, they were far happier looking than other ninja who had received jobs from NW citizens. Saura didn't seem like a hard boss to please, and considering his past behaviours he probably paid the ninja well.

The three of them grabbed what they wanted to eat and sat down on the outside patio. Deidara hadn't had anything he deemed to be good food in a while and was more than happy stocking up his plate. The Sannin however had always been a light eater and took barely anything before settling down.

"That all?" Saura asked curiously.

"He doesn't eat." Deidara said used to his friends ways.

"I don't eat much." Orochimaru corrected, they muttered about what they remembered from the night before. Saura remembered most of it, all the way up until the snake had passed out from over drinking.

"Sorry about cutting your night short." Orochimaru said to the Nw man, Saura laughed lightly.

"The night was already over. You picked a good time." He replied. They carried on their conversations until finally Saura changed the topic.

"Do you two need anything else?" He asked, "I mean in general now, I know it's hard for ninja to acquire what they need."

"I think we are fine, you've given us enough." Orochimaru said, Saura wasn't convinced.

"What about phones? So we can stay in contact easier." He offered.

Orochimaru wasn't keen but he felt Deidara elbow him under the table and flinched with an inaudible "ow".

"I think phones may be useful." Deidara answered. The NW seemed keen and requested the hired ninja to remove the plates before fetching his car key.

Tsukiko was left in the backyard, which stretched on for many yards. He splashed in the water fountain which created a chaotic mess. The air was still cold and the Sannin couldn't understand how the dog enjoyed the icy water to top off the frozen winds. He soon realized he was still in a strangers jacket, it triggered some of his memory of the night before. He recalled the man leading him outside. Recalled him offering the job. He couldn't remember what his answer was to the man nor could he recall the end of their meeting.

The car roared to life and pulled sharply out of the driveway. Orochimaru looked out the glass windows as trees and streetlights blurred past. He knew Kakashi would be worried for him, it had been long enough. Then again, perhaps he wasn't. Perhaps he was still more angry at the ninja than he was concerned. Those thoughts spiralled around his head for endless hours until the car stopped near a shop. By the end of the trip he had decided that he knew Kakashi well enough to know he was worried. He cared, that was certain. They got out the car and Orochimaru pushed away his concerns and migraine. That was until he saw Kakashi walking beside Asuma in the streets. Walking with no traces of worry on his face, no furrow in his brow, no thoughts in his mind. Did it matter? The Sannin tried his hardest to believe it didn't, but he never managed to convince his heart no matter how much his brain agreed.

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 _"It'll get your mind off things."_ That's what Asuma had told him, and he wanted to think the walk would do exactly that. It never did, however the copy ninja knew if he showed Asuma he was still worried, his friend would become distant. He hated the snakes name being mentioned as of late, Kakashi feared his lover returning. The odds of another outburst was inevitable. What made matters hard was that Asuma had his points, he had been friends with Asuma longer than he had been dating the Sannin, as well as the fact that the snake summoner had done wrong in the past, and did have stains on his name worth pointing out. At the same time, Orochimaru never started the fight, he simply defended himself, and the past was past, who hadn't done things immoral? Not a single ninja had crimes petty enough to be forgotten. He had reasons as all the other forgiven rogues had, he just didn't tell them.

It was an impossible argument to be in the middle of, and he found himself on Asuma's side only because no one else was. Shikamaru and Ino would certainly choose their teacher, but they never reached out to choose. They were the youngest members in the group. They had the least experience and they were not updated on all the events, so they stayed side lined in fights. They didn't defend Asuma during the fight, only after the fight, but that meant Asuma was always alone during the squabbles. Which once again made Kakashi feel inclined to step out and help his friend.

"I don't even know where to start looking for a job." Asuma said, "But I can't stay in that motel any longer, we need money fast."

The words snapped Kakashi out of his frame of mind, "Of course."

He was finding it hard to act normal, thankfully his friend hadn't noticed the strained tone yet.

"Hidan is already bringing in money, which is good." Asuma said.

"We'll all get jobs soon enough." Kakashi replied, they carried on walking around the city aimlessly until finally the two found possible work. Once Asuma had managed to convince the NW women to hire him he seemed to be more spirited.

Kakashi found the man's happiness was slightly contagious and his own energy lifted. They walked down the street until the copy ninja met eyes with a slitted pair of golden ones. The familiar stare was cold, and unfeeling. He was leaning outside a store of some sort of technological device. Had the serpent seen him, it was a passing glance. Could the copy ninja play it off, pretend he hadn't seen his lover. He didn't want to drag Asuma over to the Sannin, he had just managed to find the man's positive side once more. Kakashi hoped it wasn't obvious when he carried on past the serpent, the latter of which was far enough to be out of earshot unless he yelled. Besides that the streets were busy, it was easy to disappear in the crowded side walk. So that's what the copy ninja did, he turned a blind eye out of worrying for his friend.

He prayed to the gods that his lover would fall for the ploy of being over looked, if not, he would be certain to receive much harsher cold shouldering later that day. If the Sannin even returned home at all. It was a fear the copy ninja never admitted out loud. The Sannin was known to run when he felt his position was no longer working for him. He was a part of team Hiruzen, then when him and his team mates became distant he defected from them, then soon after when the village let him down one too many times he fled from them as well. He moved to the Akatsuki soon after but once more ran away from the idea of comradeship. The snake seemed unwilling to stay where he felt slightly unsafe, or slightly unwelcomed. Any hint of something going wrong had him running in the opposite direction after he issued a warning. He didn't like having enemies, yet he made so many so easily.

Asuma noticed the entire ordeal, "You're still angry with him huh?" the man asked, "good."

Kakashi wanted to punch himself, if Asuma had seen the entire thing then the Sannin most certainly had. He cursed himself mentally. It was one more thing he could put on his _worst boyfriend of the month_ reputation. At least he had made best friend of the month he noted as Asuma seemed delighted that they had successfully snubbed the serpent. Kakashi admitted he felt like shit, and he found it a lot harder to catch on to his friends energy now. One victory, one loss he thought dismally.

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He'd have rather had his lover yell at him, or say something of malicious intent. But to ignore him, that was something which cut deeper than any harsh words. It didn't make the Sannin sad, nor did it make him wish to recede into himself and wallow in self-pity. It was safe to say he was pissed off, and he didn't think about controlling himself when he spoke to the unsuspecting blond ninja.

"Why are you waiting outside, don't you want to-" Deidara was swiftly cut off.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," The snake hissed, "But that bastard walking away is Kakashi no?"

"Looks like it… want to call him?" Deidara asked, but he could hear in his friends voice that the crime had already been committed, "…what did he say when he walked past?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Orochimaru hissed, he then reigned in his anger and placed one of his slim hands to his temple, "Leave it, where is Saura?"

"inside… he is choosing a phone for us since we have no idea what we are looking at." Deidara said, although despite his answer being informative, the Sannin knew the blond was still more distracted by the fact that Kakashi was now in even more trouble.

"Good, we should go to him then." Orochimaru said wanting to rid himself of the image of his partners retreating back. The two ninja entered the store and the NW looked over at him with an enthusiastic smile.

"These two should do you both well. They're touch screen, which means the buttons appear on screen, not on the actual device." Saura explained, "I've set you both up under my name, here are your numbers."

The two ninja looked at the foreign devices, it only took the snake summoner a few moments to grasp what it was he had to do to work the device. He had a logical and more technical mind, such things did not confuse him. He knew how to break them down into simpler forms and aid his brain in remembering what it needed to. Saura was impressed at his speed and proficiency. Deidara was accustomed to being mentally one step behind the legendary prodigy and didn't take offence, instead he shoved his own metallic phone in his friends face.

"Unlock it genius." He said slightly frustrated when the phone denied him access. As the blond didn't take offence at his friends competence in logical matters, the Sannin didn't take offence in his friends lack of patience. He knew of his explosive personality and temper. Orochimaru tapped on the screen and then handed it back to the other ninja who fidgeted with it until he accidently hit the lock button and let out a frustrated sigh. He lobbed it at the Sannin, Saura's heart jumped when he saw the delicate piece of metal being flung, but he sighed in relief when Orochimaru caught it with ease. They drove back with the sound of Deidara constantly wrestling with his phones mechanics, he seemed to be unable to grasp it until the journey ended and he smiled smugly and he locked and unlocked the phone with ease as well as accessing his contacts. Orochimaru and Saura's phones rang three times each when they exited the car. Neither one of them answered as they knew it was simply the blond getting over excited with his new feature.

"Kakashi won't be able to stay in contact with you." Deidara said, "He'll need to buy one of these."

"I don't think he will, he doesn't seem interested in any kind of contact anyway." Orochimaru retorted, they entered the house which had magically been cleaned upon their return. Ninja weren't used to maids, only the highest status ninja had people who cleaned their homes. Orochimaru never fancied the idea of having workers who did chores, why would he ever want someone in his space? He was perfectly capable of cleaning up after himself, and tending to all matters regarding his needs. After more dawdling the two ninja soon realized it was already afternoon. Orochimaru no longer cared whether Kakashi was worried, as he evidently wasn't. But he felt the need to return to home base.

"I'll drop you guys off." Saura offered, his usual need to provide never failing. Orochimaru had given up on the idea of not owing the man. What was the point? At that rate he was already well in debt. They called Tsukiko who happily trotted inside the car once again sitting awkwardly on the floor as he decided it was where gravity requested he go.

The drive progressed normally until the car spun out of control, it was only a light drizzle, the roads perfectly safe. The ninja in the car smashed into the seats in front of them where as Saura slammed into the steering wheel. The world beyond the tinted windows twisted and blurred as the car swung around one eighty. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the vehicle as two windows were smashed. Orochimaru and Deidara shielded themselves out of reflex. A car had rammed into them from the side, the side where Saura and Orochimaru sat. Thankfully not hard enough to kill or seriously injure anyone. Minor wounds from impact was all they stumbled out with when the car finally came to a stop in the middle of the road. Saura looked at his fancy car which now had a triangular hole.

"The hell is wrong with you?" He yelled at the man who got out his vehicle, the man who had caused the accident. He appeared drunk. Deidara and Orochimaru looked at one another troubled, it was hardly the time of day to be inebriated. It took a few moments and the two ninja were no longer shaken, both back to their usual calm selves, Tsukiko seemed stressed and whimpered and shook. Orochimaru tended to the dog alongside Deidara, while Saura tended to the drunk man. Although he was much more masculine in build to the two smaller shinobi, he was shaken and evidently stunned by the events.

Being ninja, neither Orochimaru nor Deidara felt the feeling of being spun out of control alarming. They had both been hit by many resengans in their lifetimes. If anything this would be one of their least painful exchanges with gravity. Seconds later police sirens were heard as two blue and white cars pulled up. The accident was soon bordered off as Saura angrily retold the story to the officers who could easily see the man who had caused the accident had been driving under the influence of alcohol.

"he'll be made to pay for damages." One officer reassured the NW. Saura wasn't satisfied but he didn't take out that rage on the cop any longer but instead made his way to the ninja.

"You alright?" he asked, still rather unsettled from the accident. The two ninja nodded easily.

"you could say we're used to it." Deidara said.  
"Felt like home really." Orochimaru laughed lightly, Tsukiko grumbled below them, he didn't seem all too thrilled. They all had minor cuts from the glass, the dog no different.

"We'll stop at the hospital to get patched up. An ambulance will be here soon." Saura said.

"I don't need to be patched up, a bandage will do." Orochimaru said as he checked himself over, the other ninja doing the same.

"You aren't shaken at all by this?" Saura asked noticing just how nonchalant they both were, they looked over to one another and shook their heads.

"Tsukiko is, perhaps we can take him to the hospital." Orochimaru said.

"We can take him to the vet." Saura said.

"Can your medics not heal animals?" Orochimaru asked.

"No… our veterinarians can though." Saura stated.

"It's the same principles." Deidara stated.

"Hmm, perhaps not. They don't heal one another remember. They don't have chakara which can mend wounds nor do they have the knowledge of how to reconstruct nerve damage." Orochimaru said, "We'll take Tsukiko to the vet then, straight after you go to the hospital to get patched up?"

Saura couldn't quite understand how the frail looking ninja was so steadfast with blood on him, how he was so casual when most of his wounds required stitches. However the NW didn't want to appear weaker than the smaller males so he pretended he was also fine as they waited for the ambulance.

Its siren alarmed the two ninja, and they didn't feel all too safe hopping into the back of the van. Saura went in first, so the two long haired ninja followed him in. Tsukiko threw a small fit entering the car, after the last incident he had opted to never set foot into something with wheels. It took a few moments but standby medics eventually tricked the dog inside. He whimpered the entire drive to the hospital, and no amount of reassurance and petting had him calming down. Orochimaru remained as calm as possible hoping the dog would feed off of his energy, but it never worked the way it usually did with his snake summonings who were equally as confident in the face of danger or terror. They got to the hospital but they were informed Tsukiko was not allowed into the building.

"He will be watched by the security guards." A female medic said, "He'll be fine while you are seen to."

Orochimaru took her word purely because he had little choice. He threw worried eyes back at the dog who seemed unnerved and flighty. He then stopped to turn around to go back to the animal but two men escorted him forwards. They thought they were being helpful, they thought that the Sannin was still in shock and was making irrational decisions. He wasn't, he simply didn't feel it safe leaving his pet in that state.

He was commanded by irritable medics, who had little patience for ninja as was and he found he was eventually inside the hospital. He was too light to put up a decent fight and Saura requested they simply get matters sorted. Orochimaru could hear Tsukiko bark and growl as he saw the Sannin leave unwillingly. When silence entered the car crashed victims ears the snake summoner commanded himself to simply settle down and go through with standard procedure. He couldn't help but feel wrong about his departure, and something left him feeling unsettled. They signed in at the desk and then awaited as the rain poured down the window slightly more heavily now. They were told to sit in a white room which consisted of many odd objects the ninja found to be sketchy. Saura could name almost every instrument, but it didn't reassure them at all.

Orochimaru recognised some of the objects from his last stay at Yiara, and he recalled being alarmed whenever they introduced him to a new device. The doctor entered and sat down in front of them with a light smile on his face.

"If none of you are afraid of needles I will give you a shot for the shock. Then I need to check you for any internal damages, after that I will get my assistant to stitch your deeper flesh wounds." The doctor explained. He had three needles ready and he almost seemed to be waiting for one of the ninja to object to the needle. However both were still perfectly calm, they got hacked up by kunai more than often enough, the pin prick of a needle was hardly frightening. If anything it was the only familiar thing in the room. Since nobody objected the doctor took his first shot and requested Saura's arm, the latter of which begrudgingly obeyed. The doctor then moved to the snake but found he and the blond had already given themselves their own shots and had neatly dabbed the small trickle of blood.

"Were you two medics?" The doctor asked.

"No, but I did study the basics, all ninja do really." Orochimaru said as he watched the man do a physical check on Saura.

It once more involved an odd machine, and Orochimaru watched in slight horror as the devices lights flashed to life and then died before emitting a strange odd short beep. He then requested one of the ninja come forth and this time they both seemed hesitant, the doctor watched them in confusion.

"This doesn't hurt." He reassured them. Deidara went up first noting how the serpent was still cautious of the machine. His blue eyes followed every light and sound until he heard the same short beep. He moved over so the Sannin could enter and he did so suspiciously. When he was finally checked over the doctor informed them there were no internal damages done at all, and that they simply needed a few stitches. Saura had thought he was brave going up to get his stitches done first, however when he returned the doctors assistant and him were both shocked to see the two ninja casually doing their own stiches. The needle slipping under their skin never once managed to upset them. They looked up with calm and expectant eyes.

"All done?" They asked as they rose from their seats, the doctor seemed slightly confused. It wasn't often patients knew how to patch themselves up so efficiently.

"Um… yeah I'm- did you just stitch yourselves up?" Saura asked his voice mildly panicking. The question seemed odd to the two ninja, they gave him an, "of course we did" kind of look before moving to the door.

"Tsukiko is waiting." Orochimaru urged, so they moved off to the lobby once more where Saura signed them all out. As they left they could see standby medics looking around and whistling, it sounded as if they were calling a dog and the Sannin instantly felt the same unsettled feeling return. He picked up his pace and trotted to where he had last left Tsukiko but the dog was not there. A medic came up to him with slightly distressed eyes.

"The dog ran away." He blurted out with little tact.

"What do you mean he got away? You let him escape?" Saura snapped.

Orochimaru didn't wait to hear more, his concerns didn't lie within blaming someone for his loss. He wanted to find his dog, he wanted to personally go and rescue the mixed-breed. He was already walking down the path in the direction the medics were calling.

"Oro-chan." Saura called, but he could tell the snake summoner wasn't listening, darkness was already settling over the land and the medical centre lead into a busy main road which then crossed over into a forest. If Tsukiko had entered the thick terrain he was likely gone out of ear shot. The dark trees and foreboding wind coupled with light rain did not deter the ninja. He had been through worse. He was willing to go through worse. He tried to let his instincts guide him but he was disrupted by more medics.

"It's far too dangerous." One stated.

"Besides, it's dark, the cars on the main road won't see you in the rain." Another chimed in.

"He won't last out there, we didn't even take him to be checked on after the crash." Orochimaru hissed, "And there are wild animals in your forests correct? Far more feral and primitive ones. He'll die, an I'm not willing to let that happen."

"We can look in the morning." Saura said.

"Who knows how far he would have run by then. You go home, I'm going to look for him." Orochimaru said.

"You could get attacked." Saura said, "You have been attacked, many times. Surely that's enough to stop you from doing this."

Orochimaru made it clear he wasn't going to stop when he placed one graceful foot into the busy road. Puddles were disturbed and splashed as wheels tore through them breaking the water in a chaotic display. Saura called to the snake but he did not look back at the man, he was focused on getting across the road. It wasn't as hard as the medics had made it to be. The cars were fast, but the serpent would always be faster and more in time with himself. He had safely gotten across the freeway, despite vehicles driving over the speed limits, despite drivers not seeing the male at all. Orochimaru was behind the coverage of the trees in no time. He was settled on one thing, he didn't mind being alone after all. He didn't feel uncertain when he realized no one was going to follow him into the dangerous unknown world. He had done it many times had he not? But no, this time would be different, he wasn't alone.

"Wait up hmm?" A familiar voice called, the blonds hair stood out in the dark woods as he bounded up, "Which way are we heading?"

"You didn't have to come." Orochimaru admitted, his friend simply laughed. Laughed as if the prospect was a joke, as if the serpent had not intended his words at all.

"North or west?" Deidara asked. Golden eyes cut through the night and watched him.

"North."

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Night had descended and still the blond and black haired ninja had not returned home. Kakashi found himself slightly worried for the first two minutes and then he found himself hurtling into panic soon after.

"Where the hell are they?" he finally snapped.

"Probably pissed you ignored him still, leave him." Asuma said for what must have been the thousandth time. Kakashi wasn't in the mood to simply leave his lover. Who knew what he was doing with that other man, the man who seemed to always show up in time, always seemed to have what the Sannin needed in that exact moment.

"You ignored him?" Hidan asked as he placed himself onto the couch.

"It wasn't ignoring." Kakashi argued.

"What was it then? You met eyes with him after not seeing him for an entire night and walked straight past." Asuma said, "I think it was well owed. He can make the advances this time around."

"Sounds like you snubbed him like a bunch of five year olds. Was he alone?" Hidan asked, slightly unimpressed but not to the degree of caring.

"I'm sure he was with Deidara." Kakashi said, Asuma looked over at him his eyes now bored once more.

"Who cares?" Asuma said as he shifted in his seat, the motel phone then buzzed to life.

"Hey it works again." Hidan enthused.

"Management connected it this morning." Shikamaru said as he went to the phone and picked it up. He held it to his ear with more proficiency than Hidan had previously, "Um, no he hasn't. No neither of them are back- sorry who is this? Sa-Saura?"

"Let me speak to him." Kakashi said, this time the Nara did not throw the phone and allowed Kakashi to come to him which the copy ninja did hastily. The Jounin held it to his ear and heard the slightly panicked voice.

"Hello?" Saura said.

"Hey, it's Kakashi." The copy ninja answered.

"I was just asking if Orochimaru or Deidara have returned home yet. They aren't answering their phones." Saura said.

"No they haven't. When last did you see them, can I leave a message for when they return?" Kakashi asked, not so much assuming the two were hidden in the woods but more assuming they hadn't come home due to their feud.

"Last I saw them they were running into the woods." Saura said, "Tsukiko ran away after we got into an accident and they went after him. They aren't receiving my calls, maybe signal can't reach them. Give me a call if they return home I'm going to send a search out."

"They're in the woods? Why in hells name- alone?" Kakashi asked.

"No together." Saura said. It was the same thing as alone now wasn't it, the copy ninja regretted his entire days decisions, he should have been there for his lover. If he had Orochimaru surely would have called for backup, but the stubborn male would happily charge head first into danger with practically no allies. The two small built ninja would be doomed if they came into confrontation with anything.

"Can you give me directions to where you last saw them?" Kakashi asked.

"Don't trouble yourself." Saura stated, he seemed slightly agitated.

"I think I have more right to go and find the than you do stranger." Kakashi warned.

"You haven't done such a good job helping anyone so far big shot." Saura snapped back.

"I'm supposed to thank you for letting him run into the woods?" Kakashi snapped, the room watched the copy ninja bark into the phone angrily. They could just make out what Saura was saying on the other end and they knew the Jounin was now stressed. Hidan had gotten to his feet and leant on the motel door. He was eager to leave and seek out the lost comrades if need be.

"Just give me his last seen location." Kakashi said.

"Fuck off." Saura said, "you're not going to be any good out there. Last thing I need is Oro-chan going back into the woods to find you."

 _Oro-chan?_

That was a title he wished the man was beside him saying, he would have punched the man for his insolence, would have shown him who was truly more competent one on one. But that was not an option and he knew he had to calm down to extract the information he needed from the man now that his lovers fate rested in the NW's hands.

"you don't know how ninja work, just tell me where he is." Kakashi said.

"What are you going to do? Walk there? It'll be morning by the time you reach the woods." Saura argued, he sounded as if he was busy on the other end. Probably preparing to leave the house.

"I don't know. I'll figure it out, but I'm not doing nothing." Kakashi said. Saura seemed to pause when the man said that.

"Tell you what, I'll come pick you up and we can go to the police station to file a missing report." Saura said, "They'll send out a search party with dogs to find him along with other tracking methods which are far more useful than us on foot."

Kakashi agreed, he would do whatever it took. He could always hop out the car and do his own thing when he had more information and was slightly closer to his destination. Asuma hadn't budged from the sofa, he hadn't even looked up. The copy ninja hung up the phone hastily and then trotted down the stairs. He didn't ask anyone to come with him and when he reached the door he noticed that nobody beside Hidan had. Shikamaru and Ino were probably loyally waiting for their teachers first move, for leaving him would seem like a slight betrayal. Saura's car pulled up fifteen minutes later, the side of it completely smashed in. As if the Kyubi itself had decided to strike it with one of its giant tails. Saura looked out his smashed window and told them to get in, he eyed Hidan suspiciously. Which was normal, the man looked rather thug like and constantly had a psychotic look looming in his dark eyes. The drive was hardly a pleasant one, but the police stations bright lights finally came into view.

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"Do you think this thing has a flashlight?" Deidara said suddenly as he messed with his phone, the Sannin looked at him curiously.

"Do we need one?" Orochimaru asked.

"You might not cat eyes but I for one would like to make sure I'm not stepping on something else's shit." Deidara muttered, he avoided a tree narrowly.

"Well I'm sure you can make that thing shine brighter somehow." Orochimaru said as he watched the blond fuss with the phone. Being out in the elements at night had somehow made both ninja much more at ease. They were enjoying the fresh air and the rain wasn't deterring them either. It was a familiar unpleasant feeling, and being homesick made them appreciate even the negatives of their past. They called for the dog but decided eventually to rather stay silent in case predators were around. That would surely cut their joy in half.

"Ahah!' Deidara cried as the phone shone brightly, Orochimaru shielded his eyes for a moment while they adjusted. The forest floor lit up as the blond extended his phone which had now been set to display its built in flashlight. They walked around the forest, both unaware that the device was slowly becoming more and more damaged as the rain battered down on it. Out of nowhere they both heard a loud noise which blurred past them as it materialized. They skidded to the side in fright before realizing it was merely an owl swooping past.

"The others ask that never happened." Orochimaru said as he tried to regain composure. Deidara nodded with a small chuckle and then moved over to his friend to take a leaf out of his black hair which hung at his face now that it was wet.

Both males had their long hair drenched now, and it clung to their faces, shoulders and backs as it got more and more soaked. They didn't mind it too much.

"I think we could survive pretty well on our own." Deidara said.

"We have for many years in the past." Orochimaru reminded him, "just a question, how lost are we?"

"Well I have no bloody clue where we are. So if you're not bringing any direction to the table then I'd say we are pretty damn lost." Deidara said honestly.

"Alright." Orochimaru said calmly, "Just checking we were on the same page with that."

"The forest has to end sometime right?" Deidara said, he saw his phones light flicker.

"What's wrong with it?" Orochimaru asked.

"I don't know…" Deidara admitted he tried pressing random buttons but the phone appeared to be frozen. He was getting fed up and the Sannin quickly took the device.

"Don't die now." He hissed in annoyance as the phone made no attempt to respond, "The hells wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry. Please ask the question again." The female automated voice said aloud as the Sannin accidently triggered it. The ninja stared at the phone in horror.

"Did it just talk?" Deidara asked.

"How can I help you?" The phone repeated in its eerily inhuman female sound.

"Wow, technology is pretty advanced it seems." Orochimaru stated, "Sorry for hitting you."

The serpent apologised as he still had no idea it was simply preprogramed sounds. He felt genuinely bad for rough handling the device which displayed some sort of a mind.

"Is there something you need?" The voice repeated.

"We need directions… can you find Tsukiko for us?" Orochimaru asked hopefully.

"Let me google Tsu-kik-o." the voice said strangely, the name of the dog was not set into the phone so the device repeated the phrase in an automated way.

"You're going to what?" Orochimaru snapped irritably.

"I'm sorry- no results came up." The phone said.

"No results? Is he not in the forest?" Orochimaru asked.

"Please try again." The phone said.

"Try what again?" Orochimaru asked.

"Please repeat that." The phone requested.

"What's wrong with you?" Orochimaru said slightly concerned now as the phone made less and less sense.

"How can I help you?" The phone asked, Deidara seemed irritated that it was repeating itself as well.

"We need help yes! Hells sake call someone." Deidara said.

"Who would you like to call?" The phone asked.

"Saura, call him he has a phone." Deidara said.

"call Saura." Orochimaru ordered.

"Saura does not exist." The phone replied as it could not find the man's name in the contacts due to Deidara misspelling the name on his mobile.

"Maybe your phone isn't retarded." Deidara tried, the Sannin decided it was worth a try and flipped out his metallic device which buzzed to life happily. He couldn't figure out how to make his _talk_ as he had accidently triggered the action on Deidara's mobile.

"Why won't you talk?" Orochimaru asked the phone.

"Please repeat command." Deidara's phone buzzed.

"I'm not talking to you!" Orochimaru snapped. The ninja eventually got fed up with the useless creations and shoved them into their pockets. The Sannin's jacket no longer offered him any protection as it was soaked through as was his chosen purple shirt. Deidara had the same problem as his clothes did not protect his skin from the icy chilling weather. They carried onwards through the forest, the whole while ignoring the blonds phone as it requested he repeat his orders. The winds picked up and soon a loud bang entered the skies causing the two ninja to jump on guard.

It appeared to be thunder, which was odd as the dome should cancel out such weather effects. Perhaps there was a reason nature had all of its weather features. Perhaps the NW army had incorporated them to avoid tampering with nature too much.

It was then that the serpent wondered what the weather was like outside the dome. He wondered what his home town looked like now, what had become of the structure he had once called home. He hoped he would not have to wonder for long, he hoped he would be able to see for himself one day, and that that day would come forth soon. Deidara sighed out loud, whatever he was thinking about was clearly giving him trouble as well. Orochimaru glanced over to see what had caused his friend grief but he saw it before he had to ask. The blonds hairband had snapped and his thick hair was now all over the show in its wet mess. Its thick strands clumped together.

Orochimaru tried to withhold a small chuckle but it escaped his lips and angered blue eyes met his placid gold ones.

"Hardly funny." Deidara commented.

"Not for you no." Orochimaru laughed as he threw his eyes back to the woods in front of them.

"We are going to starve out here." Deidara said, evidently haven voiced his thoughts.

"Nonsense. We know how to survive in the wilds, we have done it all our lives. It only seems hopeless as we entered here at night. It will be easier come morning." Orochimaru said calmly, he left out the most important fact of the situation. They used to survive fine, but they used to have chakara.

"Tsukiko!" Deidara yelled, they stared into the distance but no movement showed itself, the blond yelled again, then one more time before giving up for the next few minutes. A bang sounded again, this time however, it did not sound exactly like thunder. The next sound was a dogs bark and they both looked behind them hopefully only to hear several more dogs barking in chorus. The dogs sounded maddened, even frenzied. As if they had caught the ninjas scent and as if that had stirred them up. The loud voices of men yelling echoed the forest next until finally the roar of a machine. The roar was softer than most cars were, but it still alarmed the ninja greatly. They stared at the noise with unsure fear until lights flashed across the floor aiming directly at them. They took flight like startled deer as they darted over roots and rocks, through thick puddles which splashed up at them. They stumbled through the dark woods slipping on the terrain and colliding into the darkened trees and low hanging branches. They could hear men yelling and dogs barking while lights chased their trails. They felt as if they were prey hopelessly trying to outrun a predator which had most likely already lured them into a trap.

They stuck close by to one another, they didn't want to be caught, but they certainly did not want to be caught alone. They were quick on their feet and both light weight, it made ducking around obstacles easy, but at the same time, the hounds following them in the rain seemed to be equally as agile. A steep decline caught both ninjas attention too late and they skidded to a halt but never managed to actually stop in time. They barrelled down the incline hitting every rock and sticking out fallen tree as they did so. Old wounds were broken open and their clothes received large gashes as did their skin. The world was a mess as they spun around at high speeds, the dogs lunged down the hill with tenacity, but they slowed themselves down when the realized how treacherous it truly was. Both ninja hit the bottom and felt their entire bodies wracked with pain, it took a few moments to regain sense of the world but one look at the dogs making their way towards them had them on their feet. The dogs wore harnesses which lit up in the dark. Orochimaru read the words K9 before he was running again. Lights shone down out of flashlights from the top of the hill and men could be heard yelling for the dogs to seek. Then men yelled for the ninja to stop, that they were from the police station.

The ninja couldn't find out why the police would want them, they hadn't done anything, nothing worth chasing. Unless they had been discovered, unless the NW men had realized they had denied the proposal. Whatever the reason, they knew they had to run or risk some sort of penalty. The trees became narrower down the slope but soon they found themselves staring off a cliff again, it was steep once more, only slightly steeper than the first. This time they had stopped in time and they attempted to descend it with more tact. It only worked for the forest few steps, they became hurried as the dogs and men gained on them. One wrong move from the blonds part had him falling too fast, he tried to catch himself but he ended up taking the snake summoner down with him. They reached the bottom but this time they had stunned themselves from the impact. Orochimaru felt his world blur and he saw dogs come around him as did men. He found he couldn't see much after that, the world was shifting and he felt someone try and pick him up onto his feet. His legs weren't working, neither was the rest of him.

"Apprehend the blond, this one needs medical attention." The man holding the Sannin called to one of his allies.

Orochimaru wasn't reassured by the words, although they offered medical assistance perhaps they needed their captives alive. Deidara had knocked the Sannin down, which had led to the serpent breaking their fall. He tried his best to remain awake and he managed the feat for longer than he thought. He fought the man trying to lead him away which resulted in another blue uniformed man entering the scene. They pinned the serpents hands behind his back and he hissed and struggled uselessly. The dogs barked at the thrill of the event, they didn't seem as aggressive now that they were closer. Their tails wagged and they jumped into the air in excitement. Their harness read K9 trackers. Perhaps the dogs were simply meant to seek them out after all. The black haired Sannin felt his body slowly shut down as he had exhausted it with the running. He could hear Deidara call to him but the blond was silenced as men tried to talk to him. Bright lights shone at them and they blinked away from the blinding sensation. Moments later the snake summoner surrendered to the men holding him, having no fight left to work with.

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Kakashi waited at the police station with Saura and Hidan impatiently. The cops constantly came in and out of the station but they only ever reported updates on other cases. When word of the two ninja came in it wasn't what the copy ninja had wanted to hear.

"They are being detained." An officer said as he entered soaking wet, a black dog with flopped ears looking at him with thrilled eyes, his fur wet and tongue lolling out his panting mouth.

"Detained? Where?" Saura asked, "What have they done?"

"They're being detained at a station closer by to where they were found." The police said.

"Where are the other men?" one officer asked.

"Four are holding the ninja. Three are dead." The words silenced the room. The two small built ninja were hardly capable of such destruction. Three full grown men? It wasn't possible, so finally Kakashi broke the silence out of his growing impatience.

"Who killed them?" Kakashi asked.

The officer ignored them and went to lead his dog into another room, the copy ninja watched with annoyed eyes then turned them to Saura.

"Can we go to them?" He asked.

"They can't stop us from visiting." Saura said as he hastily grabbed the keys out of his pockets. They made their way into the car and it revved to life with extra vigour. It screeched on the wet tar roads and spun away into drive at an alarming speed. Hidan was excited by the action, Kakashi more worried for his lover. What if he never saw the male again, what if the Sannin died remembering him as a traitor to their love? It was all a bit too much so the copy ninja tried to not think about the what ifs of the situation. Rain pounded at the window as they drove over the speed limit and cut through red lights. They had no clue what the urgency was, they had no idea of what had just happened to cause such implications.

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"Urgent report sir." A NW soldier said with one hand raised to his head in salute as he addressed the imperial of a higher rank.

"Report." The imperial said as he played with a kunai at his desk, a weapon he had taken off the corpse of a ninja he had just dumped in to a fast flowing river.

"A ninja inside the New World domain has just displayed signs of chakara." The man said urgently.

"I beg your pardon? Under the dome?" Satoru asked turning to face the man fully now.

"Yes sir. The ninja was with an ally in the woods, both of them marked as well." The reporter said, "They were being chased under the pretences of being missing. Officers apprehended them and as soon as they appeared to be surrendering the one ninja lashed out with a jutsu of a low level. It killed three nearby officers and wounded one of the hounds sent on the search."

"Are they detained?" The imperial asked.

"Yes sir, both are wounded from running away." The man concluded, he then extended a hand with a photo clasped inside it. Satoru took the picture and looked at it, he met the eyes of the captured ninja. The golden slitted frames caught his attention first before moving to the blue frightened pair beside it.

"What a surprise. My dear new friend we meet again."

Authors note- yay, some jutsu finally! Been far too long for these poor ninja. Some action was in order… hope you are enjoying the story. I hope to hear from you who are reading.

A huge thanks to the lovely Vampiredoll666, your support is always appreciated~


	8. White walls

_"_ _I will not die without fighting for a life I am not yet done living."_

Orochimaru hadn't commanded his body to act the way it had, he had felt threatened and his chakara had emerged like a snake, rearing its head up and striking at the most opportune moment. It hadn't waited for his permission to emerge, it had simply reacted to the environment and situation ahead of them. He had killed three men with a tiny burst of wind, it reminded him of something important, imagine what he could do with his actual power, his unstinted chakara and jutsu. He could take down the NW army again. The only reason the NW army seemed so unstoppable was due to them restricting the ninja's chakara time and time again. Last time they had needed to take down the power generator. That was good and well, this time however, the Sannin would take out the facilities which enabled the NW's to make power. He would destroy the resource which allowed the men to continue in their ploy to create more power stations which would in turn shut down their technological devices one step at a time.

This time the ninja would know that one station was not the route of all evil, and that it was not going to put an end to the jutsu forgetting townsmen. He was thrilled to remember how powerful he truly was, he had almost counted himself as weak, counted himself as a mere pawn to be used. Not after that, three men versus him at his weakest and still he had outdone them. That was until his jutsu died once more and he was roughly pinned to the wet floor, hit with a baton as if he was a ravage dog who had lashed out. They kicked him and pulled at his fine hair before ramming him into the earth for good measure. It may have been out of hate, or it may have been out of fear. He didn't care. What he was slightly concerned about was the fact that now NW men knew he had managed to bring forth jutsu, they now knew he was capable of killing and fighting back. What would they do with him now? Surely kill him on the spot.

Deidara had cried out for his friend when the officers had become violent, he had demanded they back off, threatened them. For that he had received similar treatment as they both found themselves shoved into a cell with other occupants. Unlike last time however, the men looked far more aggressive in demeanour. The cell itself was dirty and grimy with odd faint splashes of dried up blood. Deidara glanced at the inmates worriedly, the snake haven received the most rough treatment was still trying to figure out up from down as he gathered his jumbled thoughts. When he realized he even had company other than the blond he passed them steely eyes of warning. But they didn't seem too intimidated by his slitted eyes, they watched him with far more predatory ones. Deidara nudged his friend to ask he back away from the men as he had, the serpent remained where he was.

He broke eye contact with the largest man in the cell only because an officer banged at the cage doors.

"Try that jutsu shit once more ninja, I'll have you executed on the spot." The man snapped, the inmates looked back at the serpent with much more frightened eyes, all but one, one who was half beaten to death, one who wore a ninja seal mark.

"You have jutsu, one of the legendary Sannin?" he asked in a hushed tone. The Sannin looked back at him with some sympathy, he must have been bloodied by the brutish NW prisoners.

"I said shut the fuck up." An officer snapped.

"One of legendary what now?" Another cop interrupted.

Orochimaru flashed the ninja on the floor silencing eyes, he didn't want them thinking he was a bigger threat than he already seemed to be.

"I-I said Sannin." The ninja blurted out, evidently more afraid of the officers, he then looked at the pale ninja with an apologetic stare before he did something the snake wanted to kill him for, "I'll tell you everything about him, let me out of this cell and I swear I can give you all the information you need!"

The officers gestured to one another and then opened the cell door letting the betraying ninja out. Deidara growled in annoyance, this would be the factor which would inevitably kill the serpent and what more ruin the ninja's chances of escape.

"You fucking coward!" Deidara yelled as the man skittered past under the NW officers protection. He didn't make eye contact, he went straight to sit down in a chair with the cop.

"Speak." The cop said.

"He is one of the most powerful ninja known, a prodigy of his time." The ninja blurted out again, "He betrayed his home- Konoha- He was from Konoha, student of a Hokage."

The officer was taking down notes as the man continued to detail the famous ninja's feats and abilities, his tactics and team mates.

"He was a genius, always good with science as well. He knew how to make people stronger somehow, he could grant you power beyond your wildest dreams. He manipulates ninja all the time to do his work, and he had gained many thugs loyalty." The man rambled, "he is impossible to detain, his summonings are snakes- even his abilities are snakelike. He has immensely potent chakara, it was probably too strong for the proposal to kill."

"He is this powerful, what of his team mates?" An officer asked, "Shouldn't we look for them?"

"Only one other Sannin is left, and her chakara isn't as volatile." The ninja lied, "She wasn't of the same level."

The ninja was clearly keeping the female Hokage safe as he had something owed to her. Orochimaru could have easily ratted the man out as a liar, gotten him killed for daring, but he knew that would in turn be petty. The man had acted out of fear, and the Sannin didn't take personal offense at it. If anything, he may one day kill the man himself, but he would never request his enemy do that for him.

"His teacher?" The officer asked.

"He killed him." The ninja confessed.

"What's this legendary Sannin's name?" The officer asked as he jotted down extra notes.

"Orochimaru." The ninja admitted.

"Orochimaru who?" The cop said annoyed that the ninja had not elaborated.

"I don't know." The ninja said honestly.

The cop closed his note pad and passed it to another man before telling him to hand it over to officials. The man nodded and exited the building but he was knocked aside as a man entered in a long cape which bared the symbol NW in large letters.

Easily recognised as an imperial, and then even more obviously recognised as Satoru. He glided up to the cell and looked into it as one may look into a lion cage. Some caution but more than anything an over whelming fascination.

"My dear Oro-chan you lied!" he exclaimed happily, "You underplayed your abilities greatly in our last conversation. Let our last deal fall away then shall we? It just won't do for a ninja of your level. Come join us at our military, we have so many uses for someone of your rank!"

"Satoru, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked, Orochimaru glanced behind the imperial to see Saura beside Kakashi and Hidan. They all seemed to be alarmed upon seeing an NW imperial, they were worried they had been caught out.

"Last deal?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm here to collect Oro-chan. You don't mind do you Saura? I know you liked his company so much, but sadly he has broken a few rules." Satoru said before looking at the copy ninja, "Another ninja, tell me, are you of the same level as this one? Do you use forbidden arts as he does?"

"No I don't. It's illegal and I was and am a Jounin of Konoha." Kakashi said, he seemed slightly displeased to find out that the Sannin had been making deals with imperials.

"Sad, but not too tragic. One master of the arts is enough." Satoru said, "Come, maybe you can speak to Manda."

"Sir- he needs to be taken to-" An officer tried to state standard procedures but was silenced by the higher ups hand.

"No no that won't be happening, he will be coming with us. I will secure his chakara for while he is out in the city but for while he is in my base under my rules he will have his jutsu. We could learn a great deal from a ninja who actually still has his chakara wouldn't you say?"

The police were forced to open the cell and let the serpent out, but he wouldn't budge.

"What about Deidara?" he asked.

"What of him?" Satoru repeated, "Oh of course he may accompany us out, tell me, does he know of the forbidden arts."

"Yes." Deidara said, he had decided he may as well go into the mess alongside his friend. It was that or prison he was assuming.

"Then he will be escorted with us now won't he." Satoru said as he awaited them to leave, "Unlike our incompetent police, one false move from here to the base will result in dire consequences. My men are trained to handle your kind, even when you have jutsu. Just remember that they are soldiers not police. This way."

"You're taking them to the military?" Saura asked casually, as if it wasn't the most dangerous place on NW soil. Satoru nodded to the other man, they seemed to be friends of some kind, perhaps Saura was used to the man carting away people.

"Orochimaru what happened?" Kakashi asked as he raced to the serpent, he was blocked by militant soldiers.

"I killed a few men, shocked? I doubt it, you and Asuma are both presumably rather content that I managed to go down the same road I always do." Orochimaru replied, he was still rather cut by the man ignoring him and choosing Asuma over the male he had said he loved.

"I'm not content at all." Kakashi said with angered eyes, "Why were you making deals with imperials?"

"I wasn't." Orochimaru hissed, "I avoided saying a thing to the man- but he evidently got all the information he needed from one of your lovely Konoha Jounin over there. Spilt his bloody guts on the table, they know everything they need to about me now."

Kakashi let his eyes drift to the man who had a bloodied face, and who the Sannin no longer felt pity for.

"Come along- oh do you want to say goodbye to your friends?" Satoru asked as he saw the copy ninja standing as close as he was allowed to the Sannin.

"How long will they be gone for? You can't keep them there forever." Saura said, "Will he be like the others? Will you let him live in our city until you need him?"

"We will work out the details after deciding how large a threat he is." Satoru said, "But you are free to visit whenever you wish."

"I will- but he had plans to make a life here." Saura stated again.

The NW's continued their conversation as Hidan walked around to Kakashi, the soldiers blocked him off from direct contact with the serpent and blond as well.

"Doesn't sound like the best or worst deal- might be able to come back down here when he's done… doing hell knows what."

"Tell the others what has happened and- keep this so we can stay in contact." Orochimaru said as he threw a cellphone at the immortal. They caught it, the soldiers didn't seem fazed by the exchange. The two ninja with white hair looked at the device curiously, the Sannin knew the two would figure it out or else ask Saura for assistance. Moments later the two rogues were requested to follow the imperial out and into the cold night rain. Their choice of vehicle was far more daunting, it was shaped largely, as if it could go to war at any second, however it did not lack the speed Saura's more designer car had. Reunited for the briefest of moments, Kakashi watched as once more the Sannin departed.

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"It sounds as if he was making deals with NW's." Asuma said, "Once again proving my point that he cannot be trusted."

"He said he made no deal with anyone, the reason he was taken away was because some of his chakara lashed out." Hidan defended, "he has powerful chakara and it tends to act on its own accord when he is weak mentally."

"Kakashi you said the imperial mentioned a deal." Asuma revised.

"We don't know what the fuck he meant by that." Hidan snapped, "NW's don't give people a chance. They make up their own deals and they force ninja to comply. Besides, he said he didn't make any deals, he said that one of your men gave away all his information."

"Let's keep ourselves in check." Shikamaru said quickly, "What do we know so far about the men who took them away?"

"They are from the military, they had spoken to Orochimaru before the incident and they came to collect him because he displayed chakara." Kakashi said, he was in no right mind to defend Asuma, he was only thinking of the best way to get to his lover, to get him out of the highly advanced facility.

"Also you stated that Saura man knows the imperial? That he often visits. Could we not maybe get in through him, so that we have a better understanding of the base?" Ino asked.

Hidan suddenly remembered something of valid importance, he dug in his pocket to retrieve the metallic phone and placed it on the table.

"Orochimaru gave me that." Hidan said, "We can use it to contact him apparently."

"Give it here." Shikamaru said, as the smartest man logically speaking, nobody had any hang ups about letting him take control of the confusing device. It took the Nara a few minutes but soon he had unlocked the device and managed to navigate it with some accuracy. He knew the basics of how phones worked and he used that knowledge to locate the contacts feature before scrolling down the names. There were three, one was recognisable as the motel phone, the other said Deidara and the last was Saura's.

"Should we call Deidara? Does he have a phone?" Shikamaru asked as he clicked the button. The group stood around the device hopefully. It buzzed and buzzed but no one every picked up the phone, no answer came forth and the ninja stood around the empty sound.

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Orochimaru slammed into the large sheeted metallic wall. He grunted in pain as he got to his feet weakly before swiping blood off his chin.

"Bit too much for you Oro-chan?" Satoru called from the stands divided from the fighting arena by bullet proof glass, "I'll release more of your chakara try again."

A dark purple flared around the angered Sannin as he hissed. The machine on two wheels positioned itself again as it made a rumbling noise. The barrel of the tank like machine shot out a blast of manmade chakara mimicking that of the kyubi. This time the ninja was not struck down by it, this time he performed multiple hand signs and placed his palms to the ground.

The demonic gates rose from the earth breaking half the fighting arena as its evil faces defended their summoner by absorbing the blast.

"Hmm... too much chakara I see." Satori acknowledged, he was in awe of the forbidden art of such a high level, but he knew that if the Sannin was capable of summoning it he was evidently restoring too much chakara and was becoming dangerous, "I'm draining and sealing more chakara Oro-chan. Don't be surprised."

Orochimaru looked up to see many NW men and women wearing white coats as they jotted things down. He hadn't wanted to tell them anything that would help them but he had no choice it seemed. If he didn't react against the machine it would simply detonate him into nothing. The tank like creation hummed to life as it repositioned. A blast was heard once more but Orochimaru felt the pressure of the attack from behind him rather than from where the tank was. His reflexes never let him down as he transformed into a snake and slipped out of aim.

Satoru burst out laughing in joy as the snake saw the ploy and easily dodged it.

"Brilliant!" He exclaimed.

The training and testing went on for a few more hours, the NW unaware of how taxing it was for the snake as his chakara was increased and decreased by the manmade control.

Finally the machine made a loud thumping sound as it shut down and demobilized. Orochimaru was panting heavily his limbs shaking from fatigue. He had been without jutsu for ages and he was struggling to remind his body of its limits. Satoru entered the ring as the Sannin felt all his chakara leave him as it was sealed away against his will.

"We have learnt so much off this Oro-chan." He stated as he guided him towards the exit, "I can't wait to do it again once you've healed and freshened up no? Say this afternoon perhaps? Go get some rest my men will take care of you."

Orochimaru watched the NW men approach with their fake smiles of acceptance, they took him to a different sector of the militant base and his analytical eyes snapped up every fine detail on the way through. He looked through glass rooms and saw ninja being worked on. Tested on in strange ways with strange devices. They were not in any pain, they did not look alarmed and they obeyed every order the white coated NW that spoke to them said. The Sannin could best describe them as lifeless. Machines rolled around the bases halls acting as workers, Orochimaru was not a fan of the technological drones. He was on the lookout for Deidara who had gone to another room to be tested. The base then lead into a quarter which had more homely looking furniture, as homely as white walls and floors could truly be he supposed.

They handed him all the necessities and he was allowed to shower before the nurses would tend to his wounds. He had been given a light blue kimono which he tied together around himself as he folded his arms to his chest. His black hair was swept over one shoulder as he combed his fingers through it gently removing any knots. As refreshed as he felt it was clinical in the white halls and the machines which were used by the nurses alarmed him. They emitted a greenish blue light which healed his wounds much like he recalled Tsunade and Kabuto's chakara doing. Their technology kept mirroring the ninjas jutsu making the Sannin come to the realization that the fighting and healing methods of the shinobi were to a degree superior.

If they had not been caught off guard as they had, if they hadn't allowed their chakara to be stifled the NW soldiers would be fighting an uphill battle. However what had happened had happened and as of now the Sannin needed to mass free his peoples chakara. If he could do that they would stand a chance once more. Perhaps in the base he would be able to learn more about their technology and in doing so he could create a cure, he could make the ninja immune to what it was that sealed their jutsu. He had done such feats before in his own labs, he would do so again. There was a loud bang and a loud voice hissed out a threat.

"I'll make a meal of all of you!" The familiar voice chanted with little tolerance. Orochimaru shifted away from the nurse and she laughed sweetly her eyes equally as calculating as the serpents.

"That's just-" she was interrupted.

"Manda." Orochimaru said.

"Friend of yours?" She asked as she finished the last of his wounds.

"Yes." He replied as his yellow eyes peered down the halls listening to the colossal snake king hiss and fuss. She turned off her machine before placing it in a drawer. The snake summoner got to his feet and awaited her command.

She smiled warmly, still with an air of being patronizing. An air of feeling superior as if she were communicating with an animal, tip toeing around his feelings by adding a smile. Like a person watching a dog bark out to a dog it heard down the pounds halls. Calling out to a familiar sound in a sad desperation.

"They are feeding him now." The nurse said as she gestured that he was allowed to leave. He exited the nurses room feeling slightly lost. She hadn't given him an order and he knew well that he didn't have free will.

Finally a man came up to him, he was extremely tall and made the shorter male feel uneasy. The man straightened his white coat.

"Are you done?" He asked.

"I assume so." Orochimaru answered.

"This way please." The man said as he escorted him down the halls. The sounds of the purple and black giant faded as the Sannin was led away. He was disheartened losing the hope of contact between the serpent, however he met eyes with a familiar pair of blue ones and that hope ignited again.

"Orochimaru!" Deidara called as he saw the snake summoner, he gave him a friendly hug before dragging him a few steps down the hall away from the NW.

"Are you okay? Did they put you in one of those horrid fighting rings?" Orochimaru asked, the pale ninja had bandages on his arms and chest from wounds that were not entirely mended, Deidara appeared to have none.

"Not yet. Satoru wants to watch me himself. I believe I will be summoned soon though." Deidara answered smacking blond hair out of his eyes.

"Goodluck with it." Orochimaru said, "they constantly increase and decrease your chakara usage. Something I will never get accustomed to."

"The more potent your chakara the worse it is apparently." Deidara said, "my chakara has never been my strong point, he raised a hand to display the snapping mouth attached to it, "my superiority in battle is owed to my different abilities. Potent chakara is not the only thing which makes a ninja a threat after all."

"I never doubted that." Orochimaru admitted, "I hope for your sake you're right and that your body doesn't fight the process and wear you down."

"Are you ready?" An NW man asked the blond ninja, it was evident he wasn't but he nodded in obedience and said his goodbyes to his friend who stared on in slight agitation, he didn't want to be split from the only familiar face he knew. He was alone in the hallway again as all the doors in the area were sealed shut by large locks. All but two doors. He was guessing those were bedrooms, and he was right. He wasn't in the mood to sleep in the bed and as he sat down his troubled mind reminded him of all he had to worry for. Where was Tsukiko? Where was Kakashi and what was his feelings towards the serpent now. For the first time in forever he had found someone he loved and trusted. Sitting on the NW bed he swore to himself that if he and the copy ninja were to part it would be the final time the snake would try. It would be the final time he would love, or trust or even attempt to make a bond with a human. It was promise he made to himself. It was a promise the snake would not live down, not again.

He had made the oath before, he had made it after he defected from Konoha. To remain cold and detached from the cruel world, to fight fire with fire, cruelty with cruelty. He had broken that promise when he met Kakashi, his heart had somehow convinced his mind that it was the one time it was making the decisions. His mind was sure to shut his emotions out forever if this fell apart. He would never let the sound of his beating heart drown out the voice of reason in his head.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he contemplated life alone again, and for once he feared it. He had become at one stage accustomed to living by himself, he had told himself that loving another was never worth the risk. He had become comfortable with distance, satisfied in solitude. He had grown to hate being with others and he would seek out the silence and desolate locations he would call home. Then somewhere along the line things changed, he ignited the human side he had worked on destroying. Through that he had become dependent on another, and he knew watching the man leave would shatter him all over again. Leave him broken and that much colder to the world.

He wasn't happy being left to his own devices unstimulated. The NW men would soon learn the rules of keeping a pet snake. They were always known for getting out of their tanks when unattended, they were known for getting into places their captors did not want them to enter. He got off his bed and began exploring the little spaces he could. It consisted of five sealed shut doors and two open ones which led to small square bedrooms consisting of a bed and roof light. Other than that it was a closed off one way hall. Nothing much to investigate he came to the realization after thirty painful minutes of checking. That never stopped the serpent from tampering at doors which were supposed to be closed. One of them after enough messing with made a loud buzzing noise before electrocuting him. He retracted his hand and stumbled backwards as he held his wrist which still felt a painful sting. He then opted to try another door which resulted in the same treatment.

"My dear, whatever do you want with those rooms?" Satoru's voice echoed through the halls, but it sounded odd, as if there was a technological buzz over it. As if the man was speaking through a phone. Orochimaru looked around but could not locate the man nor could he find a phone.

"Do not be surprised Oro-chan." The voice laughed, "It's called an intercom. Nothing magical about it, now please refrain from messing with the doors. There is nothing of interest in either room. They are simply other bedrooms, I hope that quenches your curiosity."

It wasn't the fact that the NW could speak to him from across the base which annoyed the serpent, it was the fact that the man could see him. How would he ever turn the tables if he could not have a moment alone? Unless there was a way to get out of the technological eyes view. Perhaps there were blind spots, he would have to figure out where they were he decided. That would be his mission while he was subjected to the room of nothingness.

"I can see you are bored, and full of energy." The voice said, "I will have someone come and fetch you."

Orochimaru sighed, was he going to be made to fight again while NW scientists watched him and documented his skills and attributes. It wasn't the worst, but he hardly felt productive, perhaps he could try and use their ploys as training time. Who knew what they would do with the information they received however, he hated having no way of controlling what information he gave to the men.

The door opened and the same tall man entered the room looking rather intrigued, he seemed pleased, as if he had just gotten what he wanted, or more like as if he was about to get what it was he wanted. Orochimaru was not keen on following the man but he did so as he had no choice. He hated having no choice on his own life, no choice on where he was to place his next step.

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The large doors opened and the ground started shuddering as whatever lay inside moved around. Orochimaru had been told he was going to meet Manda, what he hadn't expected was all the other large inhabitants in surrounding tanks. The base must have been massive, at least several times the size of a village. Most of the large captured creatures were shinobi's summoning animals, large hawks, large toads and even sharks. The one which worried the snake ninja the most was the creature which possessed more than one tail. The beast resembled that of a crab or lobster, and Orochimaru knew him by his name rather than the three tails behind him.

"Isobu." Orochimaru greeted as he passed the glass tank, the creature picked up on its name and slowly faced the small ninja paused outside his prison.

"Ninja." He greeted, upon properly seeing the shinobi his eyes lit up, "Sannin."

"They are capable of capturing even our best I see." Orochimaru said, his hope diminishing when he found out the NW soldiers had taken down a tailed demon.

"I was about to say the same thing upon seeing you." Isobu said as his large monster like head came to lay closer to the tanks wall. The tall NW paused as he watched the two exchange words.

"If you did not have a chance what chance did you think a ninja as I would have?" Orochimaru laughed; although his laugh was not one of joy or humour. It was one of slight hopelessness, the same as one may laugh to avoid crying, some did it to fill the silence which would scream a thousand truths.

"We demons have a curse you ninja do not." Isobu stated, but he refrained from saying more and the Sannin was well aware of the NW standing behind them. He knew the beast was hinting at something, but the ninja did not want to press him for more. Instead he would pass off the comment so that the NW would do the same. He could decipher its meaning at a later stage, he would first make the man watching them lose their trail.

"We have many other weaknesses however, I do not think we have much of a chance." Orochimaru said, his eyes told another story and the wise three tailed beast seemed to be aware of that factor. He made a tired sound before shifting on the spot. The beast must have been edgy to move, too long had he been crammed in one spot.

"Did you know each other?" The NW man asked his notepad in hand. The Sannin turned golden eyes on the man and shook his head passively.

"Not at all. But war brings us closer." Orochimaru said, "On any other day he may have ripped my head off."

"Will Manda be the same?" The NW asked, "Will he tolerate you speaking to him?"

"Manda will be different, I knew him, I did not know Isobu." Orochimaru said, and different he would be. The snake was going to throw a fit, demand the summoner free him and offer the Sannin a way out on his large back.

Naturally the Sannin had nothing to aid the snake king with, he could not break the chains and he could not use any jutsu to free either of them. This would anger the trapped summoning who would then lash out for a good few more hours promising many threats. Orochimaru moved away from the door and followed the man to the back of the hall where the sound of Manda hissing became more audible, many NW scientists and soldiers seemed to be fed up with the constant sound of defiance and they barked for the snake to shut up. Orochimaru was lead onto a stand where he was positioned above the chained Manda who had not yet noticed him. The nurse had been right, the men were feeding the serpent. Corpses were flung at the snake but he refused them, he snapped them up and tossed them back at the glass which left a stain of blood as the bodies ran down the cold tank.

"He won't eat pre-dead meals." Orochimaru stated casually. The NW looked at him.

"Should we toss live stock down there then?" He asked.

"He prefers humans. Or else large toads." Orochimaru answered, "he may eat something else but only if he truly starving. So don't throw anything down there if you're not certain he is hungry enough. Unless of course someone is willing to enter the tank and retrieve the live animals which will inevitably stay down there."

"We can feed him one of the unused animals in the testing labs. It's been long enough, I'm surprised he hasn't died of hunger already." The NW man said as he reported the information to one of the snake kings care takers.

Orochimaru watched the man irritably, he had no knowledge on snakes it seemed, they did not need to eat as much as humans did. The serpent was probably hungry but far from rolling over dead. He mocked the snakes ability to survive, insulted its evolved nature. Orochimaru was slightly horrified to see an animal being dragged in. Somehow the sheep knew it was not going somewhere safe but rather to somewhere even more cruel than its previous imprisonment. It made loud frightened sounds but the men seemed deaf to it as they forced it into the tank. It was in Manda's reach and the giant serpent lashed out and crushed the small hoofed creature. It hardly sufficed as a snack for the colossal giant. Orochimaru was slightly sickened at the display and knew that the summoning had killed the sheep more out of frustration than hunger.

"Is there a reason he won't eat the dead?" The NW asked suddenly giving the fixated Sannin a fright.

"Animals never eat the dead they find, it could be disease ridden, its' natural to avoid it." Orochimaru muttered, he decided he was going to get closer to the tank regardless of the fact that he had received no permission to do so.

He reached the tank and looked at the familiar beast, which despite Manda's fearsome looks and temper somehow made the Sannin feel safe. He would much rather have been beside the snake king which threw a fit and hissed threats than be behind a glass wall without him. The snakes green eyes landed on his summoners and he stopped his rant.

"Orochimaru." He said in his usual low toned voice, sounding both shocked and cautious. As if he was unaware of why he was facing his old summoner. The boy he knew who had long ago made a pact with snakes and signed a blood contract binding their souls forever. Although debatably the Sannin had been bound to the snakes before he had signed the deed at all.

"Step over here Orochimaru." The NW man said as he gestured to a small separate tank beside the colossal snakes. The Sannin looked at his summoning but made his way as instructed. He knew the men would use force if the need arrived and he was willing to speak to Manda in his own holding cell if need be. He felt his stomach go in a knot when he entered the cage.

His instincts told him to get out but his mind told him to rather stay. They would not kill him, they may harm him but it was certain they needed him alive. If he fought back to avoid the fear creating tank then he may indeed be killed.

"Now before your reunion. We would like to ask you a question Manda." The tall NW man said his amused eyes lighting up once more.

"The snakes dimension." He said, "where is it?"

"I'm not answering a single one of your questions, low life bastards." The serpent hissed as his green eyes moved from his summoner to the elitist man.

"Alright, one more question. How loyal are you to your summoner?" The question had an air of threat and the colossal snake seemed weary to answer, he refrained from hissing anything. The NW man gestured for two standby soldiers to do something and they approached the Sannin's enclosed tank. Orochimaru watched them coldly, he would never make his largest summoning sell out the entire snake summons dimension. The NW men were sure to go and imprison every intelligent life form on the land. However he knew how they were going to persuade the summoned giant. They would do as all interrogators did, they would hurt the person to make them speak and if they did not they would hurt the people the captured prisoner loved. Orochimaru laughed to himself. He and Manda both knew each other well, pain was not the worst thing in the cruel world they grew up in, they could both hold their tongue on each other's behalf and they would not hate the other dare they not spill their guts.

A sudden shooting pain shot through the ninjas body and he fell to the floor as he became unable to stand. He bit his tongue to refrain from screaming in pain his entire body now shaking as it became more and more intense. Manda screeched in anger and lashed out at his chains and tank. He slammed against it and hissed out menacingly as if desperate to reach his tortured summoner. He had known the Sannin from a child, and naturally he would act as if he cared for no one, however there was some kind of strange connection held between the snake child and serpent. Something perhaps long ago engrained due to the countless hours they had fought alongside one another. Time could not be conquered.

"Still no answer to our first question?" The man asked.

"Fuck you." The snake hissed as he continue to slam his body into the glass, his giant head thrashing from side to side in an agitated tantrum. He recoiled back and struck at the glass again before doing it a few more times. Unable to handle the pain as well as he had the Sannin cried out softly but he regretted it when Manda slowed down his attack to fully turn his attention to the ninja on the floor, shaking and whimpering. Orochimaru cursed his own weakness, was it not instinct for a summoning to protect its bound contractor. Manda looked back at the man, the Sannin wouldn't allow it, as much as the snakes had sworn to protect him, he had sworn an oath to protect them.

"Don't answer them!" The Sannin called to the creature, Manda snapped his green slitted eyes back to the ninja, he could see that his summoner was not asking him, he was commanding him. The same as when he ordered something in battle, it was not up for discussion. Manda hissed out in distress.

His large head came to lie on the floor in defeat as he was forced to do nothing. Nothing but remain silent. Orochimaru refrained from making any more animalistic whimpers as he knew it caused his serpent some kind of grief. If he could avoid thinking about his physical situation he may be able to escape into his mental world. The time passed slowly for both serpents but they remained eerily silent as they defied the men who dared them. Annoyance and disappointment was written clear across the tall NW man's face. He was becoming less tolerant; however Orochimaru noticed he hadn't increased the pain he felt inside the tank. Either that or the Sannin was becoming numb to it. Doors flew open and an angry Satoru stormed through the isle onto the stand. His cape dramatized his entry as his gaze landed on the tall man.

"Hell do you think you are doing?!" He snapped, he then looked over at the softly whimpering Sannin who did his best as he refrained from writhing in pain, "by the gods release him! He is one of our most valuable allies. You dare treat him like a mere genin."

"We are trying to get his summoning to talk sir." The man defended, his voice hinging on annoyed and nervous.

"By killing him? He is far more valuable than the entire snake realm. In fact he is a door between the two. Let him go." Satoru said as he made his way to the Sannin. The tall man tried to reason again about the importance but Satoru knocked past him once more before motioning to nearby soldiers. Satoru's order over ruled the other mans and they moved to obey him. The pain stopped and Manda raised his head as his large eye came up beside the tank. Orochimaru felt reassured looking into the green slitted orb. He was grateful to be out of pain but even more so that the serpent hadn't said a word.

"I'll eat all of them." Manda hissed softly to his summoner, the words were so drenched in his snake like voice the NW men were unable to make out the words.

"I know." Orochimaru panted softly, naturally the Sannin had been with the colossal beast long enough to understand his hissed out replies. Being close was essential for wars, and the two had been near unstoppable. Satoru entered the black haired males tank and helped him to his shaky feet.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

Orochimaru didn't feel he had the energy to speak but opted to try and walk anyways. He pushed himself away from the man politely, to avoid agitating the only man capable of stopping the agonizing sensations he had been subject to for what felt like hours. He managed to walk out his glass prison, Satoru right beside him, but the steps leading down had him stumbling. The imperial seemed to have quick reflexes and he caught the small ninja before guiding him down. The man's personality made him hard to take seriously, however he seemed much more threatening when he spoke to the soldiers and scientists of the base. He was naturally rather tall and large in build, his constant almost childlike smile deceiving people at first glance into thinking he was a gentler soul. One look into his intense eyes would tell a different story however.

He was not to be underestimated in the slightest, he had made it to be first in command on the entire NW army. He was a man who had the ability to order thousands of loyal devoted men to die for him, and he had not gotten there off luck. Orochimaru reminded himself to be more cautious around the imperial from then on. He did not want to be tricked into underestimating his opponent, the man seemed well versed in ninja's abilities as well as their way of living. Knowledge was power, and as it looked, Satoru was far more powerful than upon first meeting.

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"Come look at this." Satoru said to a nearby scientist, the women glided over her badge of importance flashing in the manmade light.

"What is it? Another snake summoning?" She asked as she gazed at the eight headed hydra, the snake looked at her with intense yellow eyes, every head appearing to be overlooking the camera except for one.

"No." Satoru said, "a ninja who possess the rare ability to transform himself."

"Is he dead?" the women asked.

"He is here." Satoru laughed.

"In the city?" She asked.

Satoru laughed, "In our facility."

Authors note: There is the next chapter. A huge thank you to both Esparia and Vampiredoll666 for both always leaving lovely messages. Thanks for keeping me inspired to write~


	9. Kill or be killed

_"Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong."_

Kakashi and the other ninja stood outside the elaborate house as arranged as they waited for the NW man inside to hurry up and get done. Saura exited his house dressed in much more formal clothes and he had a tag slung around his neck. It seemed as if it were to be scanned by some device and Kakashi instantly read the words New World on it. Anything labelled that made the copy ninja weary; he hated the presence of the military. Saura had gotten a new car, as money seemed to mean nothing to him, the old one haven been turned into scraps somewhere. Shikamaru and Ino appeared tense in his presence as they were not accustomed to friendly NW citizens. Asuma was sceptical and stood close by his students as if trying to physically show he was willing to protect and die for them. Hidan casually leant on the wall as rain trickled down his hair and splashed on his nose, more curious in nature than anything else while the copy ninja was fixated. He wasn't planning on letting his lover be trapped in some hell hole. He wasn't going to accept his position any longer.

They got into the sports car which made as audacious a noise as the man's old car had. This time four ninja had to be squeezed at the back, but no one argued when the copy ninja got into the passenger's seat. After all, he was the one most affected by the loss of the two rogues. When they got to the large doors which brandished the sign of the military the ninja felt their stomach drop. Had they honestly just walked into the home of warfare? Their enemies main functioning base? What were they to do if they were found out? They were sheep walking into a wolves den safe only because a fellow wolf offered to lead them in. They felt awfully short sighted as the gates opened and allowed Saura to drive in freely. Saura glanced into his rear view mirror and could easily pick up on the ninja's discomfort.

"I'll take us straight to Oro-chan. No one will stop us, or question you. There are lots of ninja here… maybe you'll meet up with more friends." Saura said, he was speaking to calm their nerves, "It's not that scary in here. The door is misleading, this place is big, and the people are dangerous but they are all human… so no one is going to do anything monstrous. Besides ninja come in and out of here all the time, they don't hold anyone prisoner. They just keep them for the hours they need to do their studies."

"I don't believe Orochimaru was willing." Kakashi said, his words caught the NW man's attention and he glanced out the window pretending to be distracted with the road as he spoke.

"No… but they will let him go when they are done. It won't be more than a month or two." Saura said.

"Seemed pretty final a deal." Kakashi said again.

"Satoru will work alongside Oro-chan for years to come sure, but he will let him roam the city whenever he wants." Saura said, "It'll be like a job, he has work hours where he has to come in but other than that he can start his own life in the city."

"What does his job entail?" Hidan asked.

"It can vary…" Saura said as he parked the sleek car and unlocked all the doors. The ninja at the back scrambled out of the squashed arrangement whereas Kakashi watched the male beside him intently. He could see Saura was nervous in his presence, almost as if he never wanted to upset the shinobi. Little did he know that he had already upset the man greatly, it was far from a mutual arrangement. The copy ninja hated the man.

They walked to the entrance as they passed many pointed eared dogs which looked ready to charge at any moment. Followed by those dogs were many soldiers dressed in their uniform, most of them stood alert while a large portion sat around talking. The ninja were watched as they passed but nobody stopped or questioned them. When Saura got to the door he swiped his card as expected and they gained access into the next section of the base where they then arrived at a desk surrounded by more soldiers and a few imperials.

"Saura." One greeted as her New World cape moved alongside her.

"Lieutenant Nya. I'm here to visit Satoru, is he here?" Saura asked after greeting the woman. The imperial nodded and gestured for them to follow, she looked back at the array of ninja.

"All with you?" She asked.

"Yes." Saura replied, "we are here to visit Oro-chan as well, that's why they are here."

"Oro-chan? Full name, do you know her number?" She asked as she took dirt out her fingernails as she progressed down the hall.

"Full name is Orochimaru… I haven't visited him in here yet so I don't know his number." Saura said, she sparked at the name and looked over at him.

"Orochimaru, the legendary Sannin. Master of the forbidden arts." She said, "He arrived a day after yesterday correct. Satoru placed him in my care, I'm to find out everything about him."

"He must be of a good rank if you are to handle him Lieutenant." Saura said, he seemed to hold her in high respects, her eyes were cold and calculating yet calm. She seemed sly and none of the ninja felt at ease in her presence.

"Watch this one." Hidan muttered to the copy ninja, "She is the type who says one thing and does another."

"I didn't doubt it." Kakashi said, he was focusing on every detail in the base, making sure to let his eyes fall onto everything possible so that he could observe it all.

"Sadly, your ninja will not be able to see him today." Nya said, "he is in use and will only be done in a couple of hours. Satoru is available however."

"We can wait." Kakashi said.

"Speak when spoken to ninja." She said as if she were a loveless mother speaking to a child.

Kakashi was taken aback at the patronising tone, it was a threat and yet it was given as if he were legions below her. Saura glanced between them before speaking.

"He is right though, there is no hurry. I will speak to Satoru about it." Saura said, Nya looked at him irritably.

"No doubt you will use your relations to the man to make him cut our tests short today." She said.

"We will wait until he is done." Saura said again, "let's leave it there shall we Lieutenant."

She was evidently not amused at the lack of respect she received, but it appeared as if the NW man had some sort of close relation, closer than mere friends, to the military leader. Satoru and Saura seemed to be a strained relationship, as if they would never trust one another but they would never betray the other at the same time. They got further into the base until loud bangs were heard followed by screeches. They sounded demonically tortured.

"That would be my men's work, we are trying to… tame something." Nya said, "I will have to go help them. Satoru asked me to greet you personally for him, but I have my own work to do. You know your way around the areas you are allowed in. Gentlemen."

She entered a hallway and when the doors opened the screeches became louder and more audible. The ninja looked at the noise, it was familiar yet they could not pinpoint what it was entirely.

"We can wait for Oro-chan and Satoru in the lobby." Saura said as he redirected the ninja from the closing metal doors.

"What are they… taming?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know and I don't ask." Saura said, "It isn't my place to know."

"How come you are allowed here? Aren't you just a citizen?" Ino asked as she came closer to the NW man to keep her voice on the down low.

"I am a citizen." Saura said.

"But you're not just any citizen. You have connections." Shikamaru analysed.

"I'm- " Saura could see the ninja wanted a proper answer, "I'm related to Satoru, who is the son of the Superior."

"Superior?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, he runs every city. He is like your Hokage, but he would in your terms run every village across the land. Those lands would then be given different smaller leaders to govern for him. But those lands still run under the Superior." Saura said.

"How are you related to Satoru?" Hidan asked curiously, finding it odd how they acted as if they were friends instead of relatives.

Saura didn't seem fond of the conversation, he didn't like being in the spotlight it appeared but he carried on explaining honestly.

"I'm his cousin, but I was adopted into Satoru's family when my mom died." Saura said, "She was the Superiors sister, so he took me in, and I was familiar with him anyway as my mother and him were close."

"You don't see him as a father though…" Shikamaru said, "you still call him the Superior."

Saura laughed, "I don't see him as a father, nor a guardian for that matter. He isn't the warmest man, even Satoru his own flesh and blood calls him the Superior. We could get into legal trouble if we dared use his real name."

The ninja all had the same thought waves. It was no wonder the cities under the NW rule were so cold, their leader was ice himself. The Hokage, or any Kage, treated all his people as his own children, the Superior however did the exact opposite. Not even his own children got to look to him for paternal affection. It was a system the ninja did not find healthy. To demand his people and relatives call him by a title seemed arrogant and clouded by vanity.

"He sounds like a tyrant." Asuma said, his own dads loving nature flashing through his mind.

"He can be, but he can also have his up sides." Saura said, "Every man becomes a tyrant when he gains power."

"My father never did." Asuma said.

"Your father might not have experienced the same thing as other people then." Saura said, "the Superior went cold when my mother died, he opted to be more violent in his nature to avoid more unnecessary casualties."

"Who killed her?" Ino asked.

"Rogues." Saura said.

"Ninja?" Shikamaru said again.

"We never treated ninja the way we do today years ago. We first wanted to integrate our research and come up with a balance, however we sought out rogues, not villages." Saura said, "my mother wasn't always the smartest in that regard, she went for the desperate and the easy to convince. The ninja ended up having their own motives."

"You cannot trust a rogue." Asuma stated quickly. Hidan snapped irritated eyes at him.

"Bastards all of us." He muttered sarcastically. Saura looked at them both as he realized the obvious tension.

"There is nothing wrong with rogues." Saura said, "It was a small group who attacked and killed my mother's squad, to this day it was her fault. They didn't do it maliciously, they panicked and opted to strike back when the element of surprise was still on their side. We never explained to the rogues what we were doing. I've noticed technology freaks ninja out, you're not used to it. We have a bad habit of not explaining things to others, it leads to miscommunications."

"Rogues are always the route of miscommunications though." Asuma said.

"Back off Asuma." Kakashi said, Ino and Shikamaru looked anxious, Saura seemed to be losing his patience with the rowdy set of males.

It was obvious the two Jounin were losing their patience as well however, military guards picked up on the pressure and turned their attention over to the ninja. If a fight broke out it could have easily lead to more complications. Ino passed a worried look to the Nara, it was hard to imagine the two not fighting in the next few moments.

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"If he won't listen then harshen the punishment, we don't have all day. That bastard Saura is here and Satoru is going to cut our test time short." Nya barked to one of her men, the soldier stayed calm.

"What measures would you like to take Lieutenant?" the man asked.

"I don't care, get him listening." She paused then turned back to the man, "I'm going to tell this stupid creature what to do once more, if he doesn't listen higher the voltage of our machines."

The white hydra lashed out its large golden eyes frenzied and angered. It made more noise than it did make any moves to attack as it was restrained by large chains and metallic cuffs. Orochimaru saw the arrogant looking female approach his glass prison, a tank much like Manda's.

"Alright you dumb animal, let's try this one more time." She said, "Kill the man and your punishment will end."

The serpents lurid eyes fell to the ninja in the tank with him, he was yelling that the men were sick and twisted for doing such things, that ninja were unstoppable. It was not the males cries that stopped the hydra from killing him, it was the fact that man was a friend of someone the hydra held dear.

"Ninja take any amount of pain!" Gai yelled up to the soldiers and Lieutenant, "You cannot force us to turn on one another so easily!"

Nya waited for the hydra to squash the hot blooded man but she knew he was defying her once more when she gazed into the calculating yellow orbs.

"No then?" She asked, "Screw the electricity. Research shows that snakes are cold blooded. Freeze the tank, he can come out when he kills the man."

The hydra screeched as its large tail wacked at the seemingly unbreakable glass. Orochimaru was fed up with the cruel treatment, and he was fed up with the woman at the top yelling for him to simply bend to her will. The door clicked open to the grand stand and the imperial of the military swooped in. He looked down at the hydra before noticing the glass frosting over. Orochimaru wondered how alright Satoru was with these methods, he had rushed over last time in an irritable fashion had he not. This time however Nya muttered something to the man and he shook his head and looked at the serpent almost disappointedly. He then nodded to the women and the hydra felt the room suddenly become below freezing point. His bones felt as if they were ready to turn to ice as his blood slowly froze.

His next screech was more pitiful, it was far softer than he had wanted and his large heads felt too heavy to hold. Slowly but surely he felt as if he was turning into a large eight headed ice sculpture. He tried his best to keep himself moving knowing that if he could keep his blood flow circulating he could live out the torture longer. Gai started feeling the cold room as well and moved over to the hydra fearlessly, he had given the Sannin his full trust the moment Kakashi had requested it.

"Orochimaru!" He called up to the great head, a hopeless eye glanced down at him, "You've fought in almost every great ninja war known to mankind! This is not enough to kill you!"

The hydra hoped the man was right, he would happily endure the pain if he knew he would not die. However at that rate he wasn't entirely sure he would survive the ordeal.

The eight headed beast tried to communicate back to the man, but his human words were hissed out and Gai failed to understand the soft sound.

Satoru watched from the stand looking rather troubled yet at the same time not at all sympathetic. His arms were crossed over his chest as one of his fingers tapped lightly on his arm. After a while he spoke to Nya and then left the arena. That was his best shot out the Sannin realized, his best ticket to getting out of the fridge was now walking away. His large heads lay weakly on the floor, Gai remained close by to comfort the large creature he saw as a comrade. Suddenly, one large head shrieked as the cold got to it and it turned on one of the other heads. Satoru stopped midway out the door as he heard his soldiers gasp in horror. Gai shielded himself from the blood spray which cascaded down from one of the ripped off heads. The hydra tossed the decapitated member into the glass tank and it turned to smoke. Another hydra head emerged from its place as the spectators watched on in both amazement and horror.

"He regenerates!" Nya laughed.

Orochimaru hardly cared that they knew one of his most obvious abilities as a hydra, when he used his own energy to create a new head he felt his blood racing in exertion. It was one way to both get Satoru back in the room while also keeping his body from giving in to the colds wishes.

Moments later he felt his body wanting to shut down, he could only regenerate so much and after the third head he was forced to stop. The NW's had taken away most of his chakara and trapped him in his snake form. However he could not use his abilities unless they gave him his chakara, which they wouldn't be doing in a hurry. Gai looked up at the Sannin with worried eyes, he did not know the snake was trying to keep warm, to him and the spectators it appeared as if the serpent was going mad from the cold pain ebbing into his very core. Perhaps it was partly that the Sannin concluded to himself, but he was far from finished, he was far from obeying. He had obeyed countless times during the last war, and he woke up at night regretting many things he never said or did. Gai placed a warm hand on the beast, not even managing to cover one scale in his minute size.

"If you wish to kill me-" Gai stated as bravely as he could, "Then I will not judge you for it."

The hydra glanced at him defiantly.

"It is not your judgement which stops me from killing you Jounin." He hissed out, mist flaring around his mouth as his warm air met the cold chill outside his muzzle. Gai watched him cautiously, Orochimaru didn't much care how the man interrupted it.

He most likely assumed the Sannin meant it in a dark nature, meant it to say he would only spare him as he was defiant. That was fine, his words were often twisted. Often seen as more monstrous. Despite the actual meaning being the fact that the snake cared, yes no one would assume that. Not once would any mortal put that picture into their mind. The cold air eventually made Gai start to freeze as well and the human sat with his back against the white beast. He was equally as defiant to the cruel methods.

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As predicted the two Jounin had clashed, but it became apparent that the soldiers were on guard permanently. The two had been apprehended after Asuma had risen his voice a bit too loud. They had been restrained and pushed into walls before devices were shoved in their faces, those same devices electrocuted them without warning. The quickness of their subduing had both ninja startled into listening to the next order. Thankfully it was given by Saura who insisted they be left alone. The soldiers knew they had some obligation to obey the blood related man, but they also were under orders to stop any upcoming issues. The two ninja could thank the gods when Satoru arrived and commanded the men leave them both. They were released but the feeling of electricity still haunted their bodies for the next few minutes.

Satoru had promised to fetch the Sannin and Deidara, he said Nya was watching the serpent as they spoke. Kakashi lit up at the prospect of seeing his lover, he had regretted much of his past decisions of late and wished to rectify each and every one. Satoru disappeared from the room and he stayed gone for up to an hour or more. The ninja wondered what the holdup was. Either way, all the ninja were hoping they would see their abducted friends soon.

However, when Nya and Satoru exited the door and came to arrive at their side. Unlike what was promised they did not return with the Sannin or the blond ninja. Satoru looked to be his usual self although Saura seemed to catch something underlying about the man.

"I'm so sorry to turn you away, but there were a few complications. Orochimaru will not be able to see you today." Satoru said, "When you next visit I promise he will be here."

Kakashi watched the man with hateful eye, _complications_? What did the man mean by that? How dare he elude to his lover being mixed up in some military complication. The NW seemed equally as unhappy about the situation.

"What happened?" Saura asked.

"He needs to be taken to another sector for confidential matters." Satoru said, "Don't worry he will be brought back soon."

"How soon? Can we come tomorrow?" Kakashi asked.

"No." Satoru replied.

"And the day after that?" Kakashi said.

"I'm afraid not. Tell you what, I'll contact Saura and Saura will contact you." Satoru said, Nya watched them with amused eyes.

"Would you like me to show you out?" Nya asked.

"That's a great idea, help them out won't you Lieutenant." Satoru said as he realigned his cape, "I have a lot on my plate today Saura, do forgive me."

But the obviousness of the tension had risen. The ninja and NW man were not satisfied with the events which had unfolded.

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Orochimaru woke up his entire body feeling frozen, he was no longer a hydra, he was no longer able to conjure any chakara. His wrists were bound to the bed he lay on which was as clinical looking as the rest of the military labs. Pain shot through him and he grumbled in frustration as he pulled at his restraints. A man entered in a light coat his expression bored as he retrieved something from a desk. Orochimaru expected the man to acknowledge him, after all he had been out cold for a period of time and had only just regained awareness. It appeared the man hardly noticed him. He exited the room without saying so much as a word.

This angered the Sannin more and he tugged at the chains attaching him to the bed. He could feel his muscles and bones argue about his tactics of getting free. Had he not only been frozen? He felt as if he had been mauled by the nine tails.

The man entered again and didn't fail to blatantly ignore the black haired male hissing in his confines. Orochimaru refused to talk to the man, he didn't feel the man had earned the right to communicate after his snubbing. The snake felt invisible as he fussed and threw a small tantrum in hopes of somehow escaping the metal bonds. The man suddenly approached him, still not saying anything, before injecting something into his blood stream. Orochimaru tried to stop him from putting whatever it was into his blood, but his arms were pinned in place and he could do little more than make it slightly harder for the man. His best efforts were stunted as the man's iron hold gripped around his thin arm. Orochimaru winced at the pressure and then glared at the man who dared ignore him and then proceed to forcibly put some toxin in him. When the man walked past the snake eyed what it was he had on him. It didn't appear to be much at first glance, but he recognised the machine half in his coats pocket. He had seen one before during his last capture, it controlled how much chakara a ninja could use. Last time he had gotten one he had just about managed to use it.

This time he had a better understanding and knew it required a code. It was a lot of effort for something he most likely would not be able to access. However if he got it, the game was soon to be over. He could give ninja their chakara. He could give himself chakara. He then realized what a faraway prospect of attaining it really was. He couldn't even get out of his own bed. He tried to assess where he had gotten hurt, but it appeared to be impossible to tell. Either that or his entire body was one big blood mess. There wasn't a single shred of skin on his body that did not burn. The man exited the room and soon someone else entered, Orochimaru was too busy fussing with the cuffs to realize he knew the person.

"Orochimaru." Kisame said as he looked at the ninja. The Sannin jumped at his name at first assuming he was in trouble. He hadn't expected to see the shark like ninja, but he was glad to finally be in company he knew.

"What are you doing here?" Orochimaru asked, his eager yellow eyes made the ex-akatsuki member laugh lightly.

"Same as you snake." Kisame said, "I defied the higher up bitch and she put me in the infirmary. I wasn't in quite your state though. Woke up a couple of hours ago, I'm to be released soon."

"How long were we both out for?" Orochimaru asked trying to fuss with his cuffs again.

"No idea exactly, but says here that this is day three for you. Not bad, think I was out for two." Kisame said, "you alone here?"

"No Deidara is with me." Orochimaru said, Kisame came over and aided the serpent with his handcuffs. He fidgeted with it for a moment before breaking the binding point. The chain was no longer connected to the bed but simply looped around the Sannin's thin wrists which already showed light bruising due to his struggles.

"What did they want you to do?" Orochimaru asked sitting up after thanking him. Kisame sat beside him on the bed.

"I was transformed into a shark and requested to kill a man." Kisame said, "Some female from mist, but she kept begging I didn't, so I decided not to. You?"

"Similar, I was asked to transform and kill a fellow ninja." Orochimaru said, he thought about it for a moment before realizing what the NW men were doing, trying to act subtle, "They are trying to _train_ us to kill our own. As one would any animal they capture. They plan on using us against the ninja who still have yet to be captured, by slowly getting us used to idea of killing a person on command."

"Still with this superiority complex I see. Idiots, we have intelligence, we know not to conform." Kisame said.

"That's what they are working around." Orochimaru said, "Even the strongest of men can have their minds shattered, by inducing pain every time we deny them they are subconsciously making us fear disobedience. At least on a physical level. After this I bet they will move on to more psychological ways of manipulation and slowly change who we are entirely."

"Not going to be subconscious for long." The shark like man chuckled, "The snake has seen through their plan once again."

The door opened and an angered looking medic walked in, or more so stormed in, he snapped for the ex-akatsuki member to move away from the serpent and the man complied and got up from the bed. The NW man then noticed the undone chains and huffed in annoyance before calling over more soldiers from the outside area. They restrained him and shoved past the shark like man who barked over for them to watch it.

Only just haven awoken the Sannin felt disorientated being rough handled so soon after recovery. He hissed in discomfort and allowed them to move him elsewhere. Elsewhere being the hall where they typed a few digits into a box before a high pitched sound echoed in the hall.

"Imperial of the highest order, ninja 002 has awoken." The man said into a speaker. The same sound of the man then repeated throughout the halls causing the snake ninja to glare at the loud box blasting the repeated words. The soldiers remained rigid as they kept the Sannin's hands pinned behind his back, his body between two men only breaths away from touching either man's shoulder.

Kisame exited the room as no one had given him orders to comply too anything other. A man came trotting out to call the shark but he blatantly ignored the smaller man and pushed him out the way. He came to lean on a wall and watch what was going to happen, most likely ready to intervene even if it were futile dare it get out of hand. It never did however and side by side, the female one step behind the male, Nya and Satoru entered the hall through a large metallic door.

"We will be moving you back to your sector." Satoru said as his cape did its usual attention seeking dance behind him. Orochimaru's golden eyes scanned the man irritably, the NW imperial did not take notice until they were a few steps down the hall.

"Do not blame me for your disobedience ninja. I did not want this to happen, you have wasted time precious to me." The imperial said, Nya watched the ninja smugly.

Kisame tried his luck with following but he was denied by multiple soldiers, the serpent could hear the shark cuss but his brash voice died as distance over took them both.

They walked down the hall going through multiple large doors, a sudden roar echoed and the Sannin halted. It was another voice he knew. His instincts told him to stop, the soldiers and imperial did not agree with his decision.

"Move along ninja." Satoru ordered, but the ninja refused to move a step forward. All his sense warned him of something coming towards them. He backed up and fought off soldiers who tried to grab him.

"What is this about now?" Nya snapped, there were only two soldiers following them, and the woman got annoyed. She told the Imperial that she was fetching more soldiers and walked down the hall only to scream when she turned the corner. Red chakara blended with black and orange swept down the hall, it smashed into Satoru who shielded his face with his arm. He received severe burns and he recoiled backwards. Nya came stumbling back her entire body a scorched mess, she appeared almost demonic in her burnt suit of flesh. Orochimaru took the opportunity to run as Satoru turned his attention to the escaped ninja causing havoc.

"Detain him! All his chakara, seal it even if kills him." Satoru ordered, the chakara was unmistakable. It was either Naruto or simply just the Kyubi. Either way the demon had been freed for some amount of time. Its roars sounded animalistic yet also human like, with that knowledge the snake assumed Naruto was in the base and had been pushed too far. The black haired Sannin darted down the hall, he could feel he still had some chakara, just enough to spare him his journey out, so he refrained from using what precious chakara he had kept. The Imperial and Lieutenant pulled out guns and the sound of them firing echoed the halls. The sound still sent shudders down the ninja's spines. He rounded a corner the chaos now behind him. Soldiers ran past him, they were all reporting to the Kyubi down the hall. Orochimaru ran head first into the same man he had just left. Kisame had no clue what was happening and pulled the smaller ninja out of the soldiers way as they stampeded past almost running the serpent over.

"What has-" Kisame was cut off.

"The Kyubi escaped, we need to run." Orochimaru said, and he tried to pull the larger man to follow, Kisame did so out of will and they entered through the doors which had not yet been shut. Another screech echoed and machines were sent crashing to the floor. They were close to the room the Sannin wanted to get into. He wanted to get to the portable machine which enabled chakara.

"Lock down initiated." A robotic voice sounded, all the doors of the base started to close, they were designed to withstand great pressure and the Kyubi could be heard blasting through multiple doors. The door Kisame and Orochimaru were about to enter was shot at by an orange blast which was ricocheted off the metal walls. The door in front of them tried to close but left a small gap, a small gap not quite big enough for the average human and twisted in an odd shape the human body could not quite bend in. Kisame tried prying the door a part.

"Not going to move." Kisame breathed out as he carried on trying to wrench the metal away from each other. The base was slowly falling to shambles. Metal support beams came crashing down around them and they backed away from the unstable areas of the room.

"We need to get in there." Orochimaru said, "The device that controls chakara is there, if we could just get it we could-"

"You can fit, try and squeeze through." Kisame said.

Orochimaru looked at the misshaped gap, pillars in the room slammed down and made the entrance closed in, made it appear horribly claustrophobic. The man Orochimaru intended to fight was already dead haven been hit by the collapsing room. The Sannin decided he had little choice backing away from the unstable mess, it was their best shot, and who knew how long before they were given another chance. He was unnaturally flexible which made navigating through the gap more simple than it should have been. He also was particularly slim in build mimicking that of a snake. He managed to get through but the room continued to change shape as he progressed. The entire section where the kyubi was free seemed to be collapsing at a scary velocity. Orochimaru got to the end of the narrow tunnel and dislodged the device from the bloodied corpses pocket. The room shook again and a piece of wall crashed down. Kisame yelled for the serpent as dust covered his view, he was holding his breath until he heard the snakes reply.

It was a choked reply, a shaky breathed response which did not entirely reassure the momentarily blinded shark ninja.

"I'm alive-" Was all the Sannin could manage to honestly say, he felt slightly weighed down and he prayed he was not half crushed, there would be no regenerating without his chakara and he was far from cracking the code.

"Can you move?" Kisame called over as he waited impatiently for the dust to clear. It was a small space, now even smaller, the dust seemed to be taking its time.

"I think so." Orochimaru replied, he tried to find the way back out but he did not know how the room looked exactly, he felt around and felt a sudden pain shoot through him. Just his arm he thought, he only needed one arm. His legs did not seem bothered, but he found it difficult to breath. Perhaps he had fractured a rib, he prayed he hadn't broken it, prayed that no broken bones were piercing internal organs he needed. He carried on forwards but it eventually became too painful and he stopped. Being able to contort was one thing, but having injured bones while trying it became vastly different.

He cursed as his body forced him to stop, if for only a moment to remind him of the actual situation, as if matters had not dawned on him already.

"Orochimaru?" Kisame called as he heard the snakes shaken distressed mumble.

"I'm fine- I just need a moment." He stuttered, but he did not think it would be just a moment, he couldn't see his own hands as the dust was too much, he scrambled forwards again through the cutting pain as he became slightly claustrophobic in the small space. He reminded himself of what little chakara he had and he tried to see what jutsu he could use. He had less chakara then he thought when he tried to sense for it, and he couldn't think of anything which would make matters better. The amount of chakara he had was merely the remnants not fully sealed. The residue of the water as to speak. It was almost not there at all. If he only had enough to regenerate he would have left the broken stuck body behind in the hole to turn into smoke. That wasn't an option and he started feeling dizzy. He couldn't figure out why he was starting to lose focus. Was he not getting enough air, his breaths were indeed shallow, but he was getting enough air to stay conscious as far as he was concerned.

He instinctively tried to brush hair out his face, the same sharp pain shot through him and he drew his hand back down. He felt something wet on him as his hand moved quickly, he knew the room was dry, and he prayed he was wrong in assuming it was blood. Was he suffering from losing too much blood? Had he been partially crushed. Admittedly he could not feel his hand properly, not to say it wasn't there however, he had originally assumed it was merely nerve damage. Even then, he had no evidence in the dusted mess.

"You still there?" Kisame called again. Orochimaru found he could not sum up the energy to reply, he wanted to tell the shark ninja he was alive still, he didn't want the man worrying over him.

"Fuck." Kisame could be heard saying, it sounded as if he was slamming into the messed up debris of building. Orochimaru fell in and out of reality for a few moments until he finally heard a voice right beside him, and then he realized he was being carried by someone. He was placed gently on the floor, supported by the shark ninja still.

"How did you get through?" Orochimaru said trying to sit up, Kisame aided him back down and gestured for him to not move.

"The wall was unstable, you were just close enough for me to get to you by… rearranging the room." Kisame said wording things carefully.

"Is it bad?" Orochimaru asked referring to his injuries, the other man was not allowing him to look at them himself.

"No you'll be fine, just don't look." Kisame said, the Sannin rolled his eyes, the worst thing anyone could tell another person. If it truly was not bad then he would not have had any hang ups looking at it. Especially not a ninja of his experience. He conjured up the worst injuries he could in his head, reminded himself of every time he had been hurt, when he was slashed in half by the Kyubi, when Itachi had severed his arms, when Sasuke had pierced him into his own bricked wall and when Hiruzen had torn through his very soul. He had been through many painful encounters, he let his survival through those motivate him to stay positive through the next part of his life.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Orochimaru said, he had finally had enough of being injured and forcibly pushed himself up, he held his arm to his chest as he did so and felt fire erupt through him. Thankfully Kisame caught his badly balanced body and helped him stand.

"I told you to stay down." Kisame muttered, "You'd swear taking orders just doesn't compute with you."

"Not really no." Orochimaru said he could see blood, he could barely see his own hand. Too much red smeared across him, his clothes were torn and stuck to his matted skin and he grimaced at the sight.

"I'm going to bleed to death." Orochimaru stated, although it was more to himself, he was all too used to being alone and still had a terrible habit of thinking out loud at times.

"No you won't you'll be fine. They caught the demon fox he is being detained, they are searching the area for survivors they'll find us." Kisame said.

"They'll find the device as well!" Orochimaru panicked, he wasn't losing his one and only shot at being free. The shark like ninja looked down at him.

"Can't you just swallow it like you do everything?" Kisame said, truly believing it was a natural talent and that it required no ninjutsu at all. Then it dawned on the serpent that he still had remaining chakara, he had not used it when he thought he had as he had run out of blood before he could think of a good use.

He had little chakara but the jutsu took practically none as it was so basic. He could easily summon and unsummon the device at least three times each. The doors started opening as soldiers operated the broken doors while other men attempted to pry it. Orochimaru summoned his usual trusted serpent which snapped up the device quickly, just quick enough as the doors slammed open. Soldiers rushed in and some moved to the ninja while others made their way to the other doors in the hall. Finally the ninja stood a chance at regaining what was rightfully theirs, and with that came the possibility of finally eradicating the NW army and all of their means of regaining control.

Authors note- Hope you enjoyed the chapter, a big thanks to those who favourite the story and a HUGE thank you to those who leave reviews~


	10. Come back for me

_"_ _Love is not running away or giving up, it is standing and fighting for every moment."_

The forest blurred past as the pale ninja hurried down the dusted footpath. He wasn't waiting to be caught, they didn't know the ninja had escaped, they didn't know yet. It had all been well devised, Deidara and Kisame kept close by to him. It would be only moments now before the dreaded alarm went off, it would only be mere seconds before the military mobilized. The three ninja had done as they said they would, they found the blind side to the bases security camera's. They had cracked the code of the small device Orochimaru had stolen off an NW workers corpse, and they had unlocked their jutsu. They had not freed the entire base, they had decided not to, what if the machines could be overridden by a large more important machine? They kept their escape small scale as they darted out the base. As expected however, the military was far superior to their last place of capture. A loud siren echoed three times before falling silent. An unknown noise to most citizens, but to the trained NW's it was a sound of great concern.

"Will the dome not supress our chakara?" Deidara asked as they exited the small forest beside the military base, they found themselves on a long road leading to two different towns. The one they knew and the one unknown to them. Orochimaru looked back at him.

"No, these devices override the chakara suppressors in the dome." He said, "They want to use ninja as weapons, so they made sure they had them under control, but that they could still use us if the need arises."

"Can't we just unlock everyone's chakara? They already know we are gone." Kisame said.

"We are still no match in our scattered numbers. They'll mobilise an army and they will gun down every ninja in the city. If we unlock their powers they will be targets, if we don't they will be left." Orochimaru explained, "I think it is safer to rather collect an established group before freeing anyone."

Gun shots rang through the air and pierced their ears, they were heading for their town, the sound of a helicopter entered the sky and the ninja took coverage from its far reaching light. They stumbled beneath the trees and waited there for a few moments.

"We need to get to Kakashi and the others." Orochimaru said, it had been a long time since he had seen the man he loved, he wasn't sure if he forgave him for his mishaps, but he knew he missed him. The other two ninja nodded, they needed to enter the city undisrupted, but it was proving difficult.

"I can bomb the plane." Deidara offered.

"They'll know where we are." Kisame said. "Or at least that we can see them, in which case they'll know we are close by."

"Then we avoid engaging all in all." Deidara stated, "Which is fine, we could distract them with shadow clones? Send our clones to fight them and make a break for it in the distraction."

"One bullet and our clones are gone, then we've engaged them again." Kisame said.

"I'll go into the city alone." Orochimaru said, "I can stay hidden easily enough, you stick to the coverage of the forest. I'll bring the others here, you work on a way to get out the dome. We'll rely on your birds to get out."

"Alright." Deidara nodded, "Make it out quick, when the time comes we'll blow a hole through the dome, for now we just look for a weak spot."

"How do you find us?" Kisame asked, Orochimaru contemplated it for a moment before making a shadow clone.

"When you find the spot kill my clone. I will get the details." Orochimaru said, his clone watched them all passively. The group nodded and they split ways, Deidara, Kisame and the clone watched the Sannin move undetected past the helicopter by transforming into a small and nimble serpent. The pale ninja had already passed under the flying machine and was well on his way into the city when they saw his shadowy figure return into his human self. The thin long haired silhouette moved with equal grace to its original serpent form and he disappeared into the towns buildings. The cloned Orochimaru gestured for the other two ninja to get a move on and they all ventured deeper into the trees.

The sound of dogs barking caught their hearing, but with jutsu at their disposal they had little trouble getting clean away from the canines. Once again the landscape was steeper and more slippery than they had thought, but what differed was how they could now approach such terrain. They hopped through trees and ran on water which stretched through smaller sections. They skidded down the steepest declines and leaped over the hills running up. The dogs were left behind within seconds and the ninja for once felt truly free despite being stuck in the dome still. Deidara created clay birds which destroyed some of the terrain as they went, leaving the woodland harder to navigate on technology alone. At the same time Kisame had fun manipulating the water to act uncontrollably adding just that much more pressure onto the men pursuing them. It did not feel like they were being hounded when the forest was only filled with the sound of their hurried steps so they all returned to a high energy walk.

"I can't believe one device has allowed us such freedom." Deidara said putting his hands behind his head as he looked up through the leaves.

"I think it was foolish of them to allow the device to bypass the domes workings." Kisame mentioned.

"Well they wanted to use us as weapons, no doubt they wished for us to be able to function in the dome as well as out." Orochimaru replied, "I guess they didn't expect any ninja to attain one let alone hack it."

"How did you hack it?" Deidara asked.

"We've been exposed to those devices before. And as I usually do after all that was over I did my research on them." Orochimaru's clone admitted, it was a habit of his, to over indulge in any new thing he found. He wished to attain all information and he absorbed every tiny detail like a sponge, it was what made him such a dangerous opponent even too the strong. He knew everything there was to know about any situation most of the time. If he could learn about something best believe he would, and once he started researching a specific thing he wouldn't stop until it was completely unravelled.

"That's what they get." Kisame laughed, "They're own bloody fault for underestimating us."

"I wonder how the real you is handling the city." Deidara said, "It's likely to be under serious guard now that we have escaped."

"Well I'm still here, so it's evident I haven't sustained so much as a hit." The Sannin's clone reminded, after all, if his real self got hurt he would end up disappearing into smoke.

"That's true." Deidara said as he started walking backwards so that he could face the black haired male who was a few paces behind him.

"Now for the tough part…" Kisame said, "We need to find a weakness in the dome."

"Well, planes come and go, they are flying machines after all. Perhaps all we have to do is go to one of the many sky doors." Orochimaru suggested, "We can kill whoever is on guard there, I doubt they had much military protection since most ninja cannot fly, the bottom doors are probably the harder ones to target. However we can fly thanks to your birds, so we can aim for the most vulnerable looking door, we'll just have to kill a few NW's."

"I've been waiting too long to do that again." Kisame said looking at the two smaller ninja.

"We cannot kill them before we regroup though." The snake's clone said, "Or else the military will come instantly to aid their fallen port, meaning we will not have time to wait for Kakashi and the others."

"We can set up a trap while we wait." Deidara said, "So that once we decide its time all we have to do is activate our trap. But let's focus on finding a sky port first."

"Of course." Orochimaru's clone said as he followed the blonds step. He was careful not to hit anything, dare he turn to smoke and leave his real self lost in the city. The other two found it slightly amusing as he took extra precautions over the most minor things. No fallen tree was over looked, no low hanging branch ignored. Kisame started walking a little slower before deciding he would have a bit of fun with the situation, after all it was rare to see the Sannin cautious near danger. He was more the type to allow himself to get completely destroyed before simply regenerating into a new self.

Orochimaru, true to his nature noticed the man's odd behaviour and glanced up at him sceptically.

"What are you doing Kisame?" He asked, knowing full well the man was one of a darker humour to most. He was the type to play with fire, he had done so around Itachi and he would certainly never pass up an opportunity to do so with the Sannin.

"Nothing." Kisame lied, "Worried?"

Deidara watched them in confusion, he hadn't picked up on any of the energy circulating, he hadn't noticed the sharks intentions yet.

"Careful of that river." Kisame said flashing a shark toothed grin, "If it knocks you, you could vanish."

"I'm aware thank you-what river?" Orochimaru regretted asking him as the larger male summoned a mild but strong current. The ex-Akatsuki member evidently finding it funny as the ninja scampered out the way to avoid it with such haste.

"Bloody hell what happens if I _did_ disappear you idiot?" Orochimaru hissed, not entirely amused that the joke was at his expense.

"Then it would be a fun search for your real self." Kisame laughed, "Watch your step now."

Once again after the man spoke a current of water miraculously appeared before the ninja, the snake summoner avoided it once more leaving the shark man laughing spitefully. He stopped laughing when he was splashed by his own water as the Sannin commanded wind slightly more forceful to move the water backwards.

His spiked blue hair flopped down slightly as he was splashed and he allowed his dark eyes to fall into the Sannin's amused ones.

"You can thank me later Kisame, I know just how much you like the water." He said sweetly as he passed the man, who from there on decided it was probably best to stop testing the pale ninja. After all, pushing his limits with the calm Uchiha had been far less dangerous than trying to trick the snake. One was good natured and stoic, hardly letting the world bother him out of his duties, the other had a habit of getting revenge twice as hard. If Kisame threw a pebble best believe the serpent would throw a rock. After a few more minutes of walking and analysing the sky to seek out openings they finally found one. Or at least they noticed a disturbance in the pattern of the domes roof.

"That's our gap." Deidara said, he spun around to look at his two comrades, but the Sannin was not there, "Orochimaru?"

"He vanished." Kisame said, the blond looked at him angrily.

"Did you hit him?" He snapped.

"No." Kisame replied, upon realizing what that meant Deidara's anger turned to worry. The real Sannin must have been in trouble.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Orochimaru entered the city and carried on his way down the street unnoticed, how much easier it was getting away from public eyes now that he had his jutsu. He could feel the pressure of the dome however, he was unable to strain his body as he usually had. He could feel that there was some disturbance while he was still under the influence of the dome. It was as if the device was fighting the domes natural duty. He could feel that conflict inside him. On the one hand he could feel his chakara racing through him, however on another hand he could feel it's struggle to surface at will. He would have to be careful when he chose his jutsu, anything could lead him to messing up and it was hardly the time for mistakes. He navigated through the roads as he had managed to memorize many names and shops. Eventually he ended up in the darker part of the city where he knew the motel was situated. He wondered what the others would think, wondered what Kakashi would say.

It had been so long since he had been by his lover and he had now decided to rather forget the petty argument. It was Asuma's fault, and besides that, it was an argument between the serpent and Asuma. Kakashi had no place to pick sides and make his life hard. They could sort their own feud out, after all they were full grown adults. He reached the motel and took tentative steps inside, he wasn't looking forward to the reunion all of a sudden, a pang of anxiety hit him, and he felt his stomach knot uncomfortably. He greeted the man at the desk and then ran up the stairs, no one questioned his hurried steps but many passed him curious eyes. His black hair swept behind him in a slightly controlled looking manner before stopping to fall around his slim form when he halted outside his door. He tried to open it half expecting it to be open as it always was but the door handle wouldn't allow him to. He then knocked in hopes of someone being home and waited outside for the longest few minutes of his life. There was no response and he knocked impatiently again. This time he caught a passer-by's attention and the man stopped beside him.  
"They haven't been home in two days." He said.  
"Did you see where they went?" Orochimaru asked.

The man shrugged and shook his head to indicate he had not, the Sannin's hope dropped. How was he too get them out if he had no idea where they were. It would be a waste of time searching the city and the military was bound to come looking for him.  
"I see, thank you." Orochimaru replied to the man as he moved away from the door. The NW seemed sympathetic and his eyes appeared weary. Most likely older than his years in nature. He wished the serpent well and they parted ways, Orochimaru asked the man at the desk if he had seen the ninja leave. He was told they left in a car with some man, the car described was not one the Sannin knew. He went outside and leant against a dark grey wall as drizzle started up once more. It eventually got harder and managed to soak his hair. Droplets ran down his face and dripped out from his now strangled looking strands of hair. His arms were crossed over his chest as he tried to think of where he could possibly begin looking. He had given them a phone, but Satoru had confiscated Deidara's one. So he now had no phone to use anyway. He had no money to use a payphone. He then remembered the one person he could rely on to still have his phone.

He had driven to Saura's house on many occasions and had memorized the location, he knew which streets to turn down and which ones to skip. He could see many people watching him as he navigated the wet city. No one else was out in the rain, at least no one else in their right mind. He ignored the looks, he just wanted to get to the other ninja. He felt like a horse separated from its herd, so desperate to simply see one of its own again. So instinctively set on reuniting with what it knew, with where it belonged. He was breathless by the time he reached Saura's large home, he knocked on the door before realizing the man had a bell. After ringing it twice in his impatience the door was swung open. Orochimaru was shocked to see Asuma looking at him. It may have been a first, but the serpent was happy to see the man. Asuma on the other hand looked more shocked than happy.  
"Orochimaru?" He said in stunned confusion.  
"Why are you here?" He asked.  
"I could ask you the same question." Asuma said moving out his way so the Sannin could get out of the rain. Orochimaru slipped into the house his hair still dripping from its exposure to the cold rain.  
"I was looking for you guys- you weren't at the motel." Orochimaru said.  
"How did you get out the military?" Asuma asked as he lead the Sannin down the hall. Orochimaru trusted him to take him to the others, he knew they were for now on the same side at the very least.

"We escaped- we got hold of one of their devices." Orochimaru said he then stopped midway through the hall and leant up to whisper the next part to the Jonin, "I have my chakara back."  
Asuma was shocked even more now and he pulled the Sannin into another room and closed the door. They were in a laundry room it appeared as a machine slushed around different coloured shirts in a swirling motion.  
"All of it?" Asuma asked.  
"Yes- but it's still not all right... The dome is still trying to suppress my abilities. However the device seems to override the dome." Orochimaru said, "it's difficult to control my chakara like I usually would, but I can certainly do whatever jutsu I wish with enough effort. I can get your jutsu back as well. All of ours. Deidara has his already. We need to get out of here, I can't give you your chakara in front of Saura he will sell us out."  
Asuma nodded, he then opened the door and lead the way to the upstairs of the house where Orochimaru could hear the sound of Kakashi's angered voice.  
"It's been days." The copy ninja snapped, "how can you expect me to trust some military leader who kidnapped the person I love? Stop defending them already, you're delusional if you think Satoru gives a single care about any of the ninja."

"He obviously doesn't care about your kind as much as you do. Humans are selfish by nature-" Saura could be heard muttering before he was interrupted.  
"You're making cop out excuses. For all we know they're both dead!" Hidan said.  
"Well what do you want me to do? Demand the fucking military to excuse one ninja because his friends and family want him back?" Saura finally yelled back, almost out of character the NW picked up his phone as it vibrated, his eyes seemed unnerved after that, "people appeal to have family returned all the time, the military has bigger problems."  
"What would that be? Suppressing the ninja?" Kakashi snapped now even more angered that the man had checked his phone at such a time, "you came to us. Don't ever tell me we were the ones who started this."  
Orochimaru entered the room his golden eyes still apprehensive upon feeling the tense energy. It took the room a few moments to even realize the Sannin had entered. The ninja only turned to look at the door when they saw Shikamaru's eyes jump up. Kakashi looked behind him and his angered eyes took on a new emotion, a seemingly unreadable one. But too the snake they were perfectly clear. He was glad to see his lover was equally as overjoyed to see him. It was a silent few steps but the copy ninja had crossed the distance in secinds before he pulled the serpent into him.

"By the gods." He muttered almost inaudibly. Orochimaru returned the small embrace, his senses feeling much more at ease as the Jonins scent returned.  
"I think we have what we came for." Asuma said, "we have no business here."  
"And Deidara?" Hidan said getting up hopefully.  
"He is waiting for us elsewhere." Orochimaru replied to the immortal, the other ninja got to their feet and Ino passed a small smile to the Nara beside her in relief.  
"Did Satoru let you out?" Saura asked coming over, he felt out of his element. The ninja seemed to be much closer to one another and he could never hope to find his way into their tightly knit group. He was of a different species it appeared when he was surrounded by the jutsu wielders.  
"Yes." Orochimaru lied, "only for now though."  
"I see." Saura said, the Sannin could pick up something was wrong.  
"What's the matter?" Orochimaru asked still keeping his facade of innocence up.  
"Nothing... I know you're in a hurry... but there was something I wished to give you before you leave. It'll take a moment, I just need to run to my room to fetch it." Saura asked. The ninja had no objections and they awaited the man's return. Five minutes later, once the ninja had grown impatient a loud sound bounced through the skies. Saura entered the room before opening the door.

"What's that?" Ino asked worriedly.  
"Forgive me." Saura said, the window reflected a blinding light as a chopper flew beside it, a bright search light entering the room. The group of Shinobi were panicked and the Sannin automatically recognized it as the military's sign.  
"Why did you call them?" Orochimaru asked.  
"My house is designed to pick up traces of chakara for my own safety." Saura stated calmly, he displayed his phone and it showed an alarm message displayed on the devices screen, "why did you lie?"  
Asuma looked at the Sannin, he may have been out of luck but they were still in the clear. He got closer to the snake who was still pressed to the copy ninjas chest.  
"Give me the device." He muttered. The snakes frightened golden eyes met his darker ones. A snake subtly slipped out of his sleeve and exposed the device. Asuma snuck it into his own pocket and stepped away from the Sannin, he gestured for Kakashi to do the same but the other Jonin refused. The window broke open as men jumped from the helicopter into the building. From the doors more men poured in their guns ready, they yelled for the ninja to get down while some escorted Saura away.

Ino cried out as men circled them, she was quick to drop to her knees her hands above her head to signal she was going to comply. Shikamaru followed her lead as did Hidan and Asuma. Kakashi didn't want to move but he heard Asuma mutter it was the only way to save the Sannin. Orochimaru looked over at his partner, his yellow eyes indicated he needed him to move away, so hesitantly Kakashi dropped to his knees as well to show he was surrendering. Satoru entered through the window off the chopper.  
"Accomplices?" He asked, Saura took his phone out and then shook his head.  
"No, they have nothing do to with this." Saura said, "but have them escorted out my house anyway, they shouldn't be detained however."  
Satoru gestured for his men to lead the ninja to the far corner of the room, "they can leave once we have ensured the capture of Orochimaru."  
Men approached him as the other ninja watched him from the hallway. They saw him attempt to escape, saw snakes erupt and dare the men to approach their summoner. But as they were pulled out of sight they heard gun shots. Then a sickening silence. Kakashi pulled away to get back up the stairs but he felt something painful hit him as well. Ino shrieked but then the world was stuck in an even more ear piercing silence.

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Orochimaru held his chest on the floor of Saura's house, blood ran over his hands and he shook uncontrollably. It was a new pain, one he doubted he could ever familiarize with. His shuddering form failed to obey him and he gasped for air as men pulled him towards them. He heard a gunshot down the stairs and he automatically thought of his lover, had he been killed? It caused the Sannin more grief than he would have allowed his old self to show. He hissed and startled the soldier apprehending him. His old body fell to smoke as he regenerated into a new one. The soldier gasped in shock at the display and backed away as he raised his gun and fired two more shots. The bullets never penetrated the serpents skin as he was ready for the attack.  
"He is there!" Satoru yelled as the men lost sight of the quick moving Sannin. However they were fooled by a shadow clone and shot air multiple times. Men blocked the door but the Sannin hadn't chosen to use the door. He transformed into a snake as he exited through the window. He opted for a large transformation, his appearance now that of a constrictor with golden brown scales marked by dark black rings.

He gripped the plane and the propellers sliced some of his flesh, but he ignored the physical wounds and restricted the chopper until the metal started to combust and implode. The pilot yelled for assistance and the men shot at the giant snake. Bullets entered the Sannin and he hissed but it was far too late for the pilot and everyone abroad the flying machine. It's entire body snapped like a stick beneath the restrictor and it fell from the sky. It landed with a loud roaring sound before moments later exploding into flames and setting off the garage below. The car inside responded by blowing up as well and the fire caught ablaze in the garden and surrounding houses, it had citizens in terror as they ran from their homes and screamed their fears. The Sannin returned to his human form and entered the house from below, the soldiers had not expected the snake to be in front of them and were silenced by many smaller venomous serpents. Orochimaru looked around for his lover and met his weakened eyes. He traced his form for any bullet wounds but could see no blood, either way the man looked slightly out of it.

He spent too long looking over his lover to check him for injury and did not hear Satoru's impassive voice behind him. He felt his anger however when something was rammed into his side. He hissed and writhed as he tried to pull out the sword like metal but Satoru passively forced it in deeper. The sensation was far more painful than a usual stab wound. It felt like one of the Uchiha's eternal tortures forced into one blow. He went down without consenting and was then pinned by many strong hands, their weight crushing his small body which could barely breath let alone fight them off. His bones felt as if they were snapping and the crippling metal was still wedged into his side. He writhed below them and tried to surface for air but the more he struggled the more they grounded him.  
"Get off!" Hidan yelled as he saw his friend being swallowed by men's figures until his fragile form was completely gone from view, "you're going to kill him-"  
"Stay back ninja or else you'll be next." Satoru warned him as he took a step forwards, it was enough to send the immortal back a few inches. He may have been immune to death but he hardly wanted to be caught alive anyway. He knew full well there were worse things than death, and that was coming from a man rather nonchalant about pain.

Orochimaru started losing focus quicker than he would have liked, he tried using his jutsu but it appeared as if he no longer could once more. He felt utterly defenceless, unable to do anything and at the complete mercy of his enemy. His golden eyes were tightly shut as he fought the panic his body attempted to slip into. He had never known the true extent of feeling vulnerable until his eyes briefly opened to look into many pairs of uncaring ones. They were treating him as wolves did their kill. He had no escape and in mere moments they had gone for his throat making the world blur and disappear from his senses.

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Kakashi woke up and jumped to his feet. He regretted it and his vision swirled as he got a major head rush, however he pressed forwards until someone grabbed hold of him. He looked up to find he was staring into familiar yet surprising eyes. Kisame helped the copy ninja stabilize himself until he could finally make a proper evaluation of his situation. Deidara leant on a large clay bird which somehow looked around as if it had awareness, Asuma sat next to Shikamaru as he tampered with something while Ino and Hidan spoke quietly to one another as they passed curious eyes at the blond rogue who appeared to be rather pissed off. Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen and that almost had the white haired shinobi turning around aiming straight for the military base. He was stopped by an worried voice.

"Kakashi?" Ino said as she stood up, she raced over to assist him, she was already good at healing but was still unable to use her chakara. However she was in nurse mode regardless after a few lessons with Tsunade and sat beside the man to check his wounds.

"You weren't hit by a lethal bullet, just a tranquiliser." She informed him, "Not a normal one though, it left quite a wound. Just not a fatal one."

"Where is Orochimaru?" He asked her, her bright eyes dropped to the floor.

"We don't know exactly. He was taken out by Satoru and his men…" She said, "Deidara and Kisame came to fetch us from the motel."

"Taken alive?" Kakashi asked.

"Barely." Asuma said from his seated position, he said it casually. The copy ninja wasn't in the mood to even respond.

"Then why are we sitting here, what's the plan?" Kakashi snapped. Asuma got to his feet as Shikamaru did.

"The plan is to crack this thing and get our chakara back. Then we escape through the dome." Asuma said, "We aren't near cracking it though."

"Where in this plan do we get Orochimaru back?" Kakashi asked his dark eyes staring at the man expectantly.

"Nowhere yet. We plan on freeing everyone though. But first we get out, then we damage the dome from the outside." Asuma said, "If everything goes well we can build an army outside the dome then attack as we did before when we are ready. If Orochimaru is still alive and we find him then that will be the time we rescue him."

"We explained it to Deidara already." Ino said, "As much as we would like to run back to our fallen comrades, this is a war and we can't forget that. If we fail everyone loses their loved ones… being a ninja requires sacrifices"

The word sacrifice hit the copy ninja harder than any bullet may have. Just how many sacrifices did the gods wish to take form him? How many people would he personally have to lose till they had settled their thirst. He was not willing to make sacrifices any longer.

"I'm done making sacrifices." Kakashi said, it was unlike him, he out of all the ninja had always known what his duty was. Asuma reminded him of that quickly.

"You sound like your father Kakashi." He said looking up at him, "and those words made him die a disappointment. We may know he was a great man but the world saw him as selfish. We cannot put our loved ones above everyone else's. As much as we would love to."

"If I loved someone other than him," Kakashi began, "Would you still be saying that?"

"Yes." Asuma said, "And if I ever tell you, I, a Jonin of Konoha, is done making sacrifices for the people who died before me, then I hope you will tell me the same thing."

There was an awkward silence, and it managed to make the disaster that much more unpleasant. However Kakashi had made up his mind. The copy ninja looked over at Deidara and the others.

"How did you return your chakara?" He asked.

"Orochimaru cracked it, but now that he is not here we can't get him to operate it. We've gotten past the code, he already ensured we knew it." Deidara explained, "However we have no idea how to get to our specific chakara strains- or more so your guys strains. Kisame and I have been unlocked and secured."

"Let me look at it." Kakashi said, he recalled his lover excitedly explaining the mechanical specimen. How he enjoyed how his partners eyes lit up and voice bounced with enthusiasm when he had discovered something, when he had finally mastered a concept. The Sannin loved knowledge, and Kakashi loved allowing the pale ninja to babble on for hours about what he had learned. Rarely was it the facts that made the copy ninja listen with full attention but rather his lovers charmed voice, his ways of explaining. He swore the snake summoner could make a room listen about the most boring of things, simply because everything he ever said was so peculiar and different in nature. Some hated him for his different way of functioning, Kakashi found it to be a breath of fresh air.

He took the device from Shikamaru to find he recognised some of its most strange features, of course he also had a rather good memory and had been promoted at a young age to a high level because of it. He mastered things with equal ease to his lover, which was what the Sannin loved about him. He enjoyed a laid back intellectual, someone smart enough to keep up with him yet passive enough to not encourage or provoke his eternal burning flame of passions.

After several quiet minutes chakara flared around Ino, then Shikamaru until finally Hidan, Kakashi and Asuma had aura's glowing as well.

"You did it!" Shikamaru said with impressed eyes.

"Half of it, you were already half way where you needed to be." Kakashi admitted, "So you'll break out and build an army outside the dome then."

"You mean we?" Asuma said.

"No, you, I'm going back for Orochimaru." Kakashi said handing the device over to the man.

"That's insanity they'll just kill you!" Asuma snapped.

"Sacrifices must be made as a Jonin." Kakashi restated, it angered his friend.

"Not foolish ones with hardly any gain." Asuma snapped, "You're going down the same road as your father."

"My father was a man of honour." Kakashi said meeting eyes with the taller male, "If he died a disappointment, I would be privileged to be called the same."

It was the last time they would meet eyes for a while.

Authors note: Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, I will be going away to meet up with family in a few days. I may be late with updating chapters, but I will try my best to stay in check.

Thank you to all those who comment and favourite my works. It means a lot to hear what you all have to say~


	11. The Log House

_"You are stuck with me till the world falls to pieces, and if we're not still standing even then we'll still find a way to be together…"_

Nya looked at the Sannin with nothing more than hatred. Her face was still a charred mess, her arms equally as sickening to look at. She hadn't lost her confidence despite the horrific appearance, if anything she used it to strike more fear into the hearts of those she tormented.  
"We know you have it." Nya said her patience entirely dissolved.  
Orochimaru met her with weak eyes, many NW citizens were watching, circling around the soldiers and Lieutenant in scared fascination. Many ninja also watched, the dark night sky being banished under the street light the snake summoner was beneath. His entire chest felt hollowed and pained, it felt as if he was being pumped with air and his insides were soon about to explode. He panted, his head lowered while his bloodied and matted hair hung around his face. She was wrong, he did not have the device. The other ninja had made off with it. But they were fools if they thought he would ever tell the truth. He would withstand the pain and brutality he was subject to. He would ignore the eyes who watched him like a predator that had been caught in the village.

"Do not hold your tongue for prides sake my dear." Satoru said from the background, he was leaning on a wall his arms casually crossed over his broad chest. He stared at his men as they attempted to cause the Sannin enough pain to give up. They weren't succeeding in their attempts. Nya shook her head in frustration, they had been trying for an hour, they had electrocuted him, they had hit him with batons, they had tried drowning him only allowing his head to surface when he was minutes from dying, but nothing had worked. The female leader was far from out of ideas however. The crowd grew larger, while others eventually found the torture unbearable to watch. When the Sannin was close to death, his injuries far too severe for him to live, they would give him space to regenerate. He would do so without fail, as pain got to even the greatest of warriors and in his agonized state he would obey to get away from the cruel sensation. However if he dared do anything other than regenerate Satoru would appear and ram the same sharp knife like object into him. It would momentarily stun his chakara and he would be unable to use any jutsu for the next ten minutes.

Nya said something inaudible to a soldier, they were doing their job beside a gas station and all the passing cars stopped to look out their windows. Some even attempted to drive towards the crowd to separate them, in order to get a better look. They had made a show out of his detainment. Perhaps they hoped he would simply hand over the device to escape the amused and disturbed eyes. One man from the crowd threw a rock he found on the sidewalk and it hit the Sannin. It only took moments for the harmed skin to turn a dark shade of blue chipped with a trickle of red blood. The military did not stop the man and soon he threw another one. Then someone else joined in and the snake had little hope of getting away from the pained stoning. The soldiers laughed, some people yelled for the unruly civilians to stop, Satoru watched on passively. Finally he held up a hand and requested the men in the crowd to stop. He had their ultimate respect and it stopped the minute his hand was raised. He was giving the Sannin a chance to regenerate, but this time he did not.  
"No chakara left?" Satoru asked, "then I suggest you hand over the device quickly."

A little girl was heard crying in the crowd when silence echoed the public area. She was only three and she couldn't fathom how the ninja was any different from the NW citizens. All she knew was one person was being hurt, and that the person had no chance of escaping. She knew that the victim wanted them to stop hurting him, but that they were not. She spoke the truth and her mother hushed her in embarrassment.  
"They're not good men." The child choked out through sobs, "they're hurting her."  
Her mother placed a hand over her mouth to silence her again, ashamed her child had insulted the soldiers and defended the ninja. But the girl thought it was her place to speak since no one else was.  
"That's not a girl." Her mother snapped. The child ignored her mother's last point. What did gender matter? What did any physical difference matter? It didn't, it never did to an innocent child. The girl thought her mother's argument was invalid so she spoke again.  
"She wants them to stop!" The girl said angrily in her young and broken voice. She could barely pronounce the words properly, but she was determined on formulating them.

The mother dragged the girl away, took her elsewhere to avoid her saying more that may have agitated the soldiers. More people started to leave, most due to realizing how horrible they may have been in the eyes of someone more pure. Watching for some sick kind of interest. Nya watched the mother leave her eye falling onto the child hatefully. Many ninja were muttering in disapproval, but nobody stepped in. Orochimaru never expected them to, they had never truly liked him. They had tolerated him, they always had. But someone wanted to prove him wrong. Another rock was thrown but this time it was not aimed at the Sannin. It hit Nya on the shoulder and she cussed before turning around sharply. She could not find who had thrown the offensive rock however so she simply glared at the crowd.  
"If that wasn't some idiot missing his target, you can be sure that you will suffer for this." She snapped, Satoru passed her agitated eyes.  
"Do not speak to our citizens like that Nya." He reprimanded, she flashed somewhat sheepish eyes at him. What he did not know was that it was not a citizen who had chosen to be angry at the situation. It was a ninja, a Konoha ninja who had lost his headband due to the NW army.  
"This is taking too long. We need more extreme measures." She said.  
"Do what you will." Satoru said.

Nya picked up a device which the Sannin knew would send harsh circuits of electricity into him. She then dropped it upon passing something she found to be more beneficial. She took a pump off the wall, the said pump linked to the gasoline tank beside it, Satoru watched curiously, the crowd started chattering nervously. Orochimaru did not know what toxic liquid lay inside that pump. He watched her apprehensively, but he did not know the gravity of the situation.  
"Hold him won't you." Nya said to a group of nearby soldiers. They grabbed the ninja and pulled him to his feet pinning his thin wrists behind his back. He had no strength to fight them with but a low hiss entered the area sending chills down the spines of everyone watching. He struggled against them despite his weak attempts and they irritably crushed his arms bones to remind him who was in charge. Nya pushed him slightly backwards into the large soldiers chest, it felt as if he was being shoved into two uneven walls, but perhaps it was their armour rather than muscle.

He wasn't expecting the burning pain that ran through him next. He acted out like a snake that had been pulled from its den as he struggled and writhed in their deathly grip. He tried to pull away as the Lieutenant poured the toxins into his body. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't even cry out in pain as his entire insides felt as if they were going to burn him alive. Gasps were heard from the crowd and many people had their phones out, either recording or taking pictures. The Sannin didn't notice any of them. He was desperately trying to free himself, he pulled and pushed but he couldn't get away. Satoru watched for the first few seconds but then intervened.  
"Careful, he'll die if he ingests too much." He warned, "in fact, I'm pretty sure he is already passed his limit."  
The Sannin was released and fell to the floor holding his chest, his black hair bounced as he choked uncontrollably. He couldn't breathe and his head, chest and throat burned like he had just eaten lava. His eyes were clasped shut, but he had no idea what to do. He was distressed wondering if he would ever be able to breathe again. He felt as if he was burning from the inside out, the reverse of being set on fire. He was forced to his feet.  
"I barely poured anything down his bloody throat." She defended.

Satoru gestured for his men to circle around a group of ninja. They looked panicked and begged them to leave, but the military men only took orders from their own.  
"I am not blind. One of you threw a rock at my Lieutenant. That is an offense." Satoru said, "punishable by death."  
The ninja looked on with an even greater fear now, they let their eyes drop to one of their known strongest shinobi. He writhed and struggled to withstand the pain and they could see his will to fight was sinking.  
"Perhaps though," Satoru said, "you would like to rather spare them? When the device is in our hands, I will order my men to stop. But until then."  
He gestured for his soldiers to move over to the ninja in the crowd. They cried out in fear, they backed away but could not get any great distance between themselves and the enemy. Some pleaded with the Sannin, despite his throat being half on fire due to the toxins he choked out his reply to the imperial.  
"I don't have it-" he tried.  
A ninja was shot in the back of the head.  
"I gave it away-" Orochimaru stressed again through choked replies.  
Another ninja fell limp to the floor.  
"By the gods, I'll prove it- stop!"

Ninja fell as the serpent tried his best to splutter out an explanation, but the ninja dying cursed him. They, similar to the soldiers, did not believe his words to be true.  
"No one should ever have defended a monster!" One yelled.  
"Once a monster always a monster!" Another yelled, he was shot moments after. Orochimaru closed his eyes for the brief second blood splattered from the falling ninjas face.  
"Satoru I don't have it- stop killing them-" Orochimaru fell into a violent fit of coughs, he was straining his damaged throat and he could feel it, but what was he to do? He had earned these men's trust and in an unfair moment of vulnerability he had lost it all the same. Would he ever flee his reputation? Somehow it always caught up to him again, but nonetheless, perhaps the ninja would always look for a reason to call him a disgrace. It was easier to hate him than to accept him. He heard the final three gunshots before standby ninja who were not involved started to mourn who they had lost.  
"Put him in the cage. We will try extracting it at the base." Satoru said, "clearly pain and the death of his own is not enough."  
The Sannin hissed, but it hurt to do so. He was pulled forwards but he had become fed up with what had happened. He attacked, and he instantly regretted it when two bullets cracked into the sky before piercing his lower torso. He fell to the floor and coughed up blood shaking in a defeated mess.  
"Let's try that again." Satoru said calmly.

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Kakashi watched the men surround his lover. He could have run over to kill them, but undoubtedly they would have shot and killed him. So he waited for the exact right moment. There would be no use trying to save his lover a few extra hits when it would result in them both simply being exterminated. He witnessed them pour some foreign looking liquid down his partners throat, and he watched them shoot ninja in the crowd. It sickened him and he clenched his fist and bit his tongue to refrain from racing down to try and stop the cruelty. However many years of experience had taught him not to be foolish. Not to act out on impulse. He wouldn't be able to save the ninja even if he tried. Even if he died for them. It didn't make it any easier a decision. But he waited, bid his time until finally the opportunity presented itself. They got into the car so he slipped into the shadows. The crowd dispersed and avoided tramping on the ninja corpses in the road; that was someone else's duty to clean up. Most likely, it would be some hired ninja, forced to clean up the corpses of people that show cased how futile it was for ninja to challenge authority.

Kakashi darted close by the trees before blue lightning circled around his hand, it was going to be a dangerous thing to pull off, but he had little choice. The large military vehicle drummed past unsuspectingly until it made a loud banging sound. It exploded near the front of the engine and the men hastily got out. They had not seen the copy ninja; he had been too fast and evasive. They had seen the unnatural blue lightning but they assumed it was the fault of their technology. Two soldiers went around too check the apparent spark while the rest exited the vehicle apprehending the Sannin. Satoru and Nya stood side by side discussing the inconvenience of recent technology advances. Kakashi did not even look at them; his eyes were pinned to his half dying lover. Blood ran down his mouth, stained his top and dripped from his hair. He was gasping for air; his eyes were dimmed and barely able to stay open. The soldiers noticed his inability to stand and allowed him to sit by a tree on the edge of the road. It was perfect the copy ninja realized and he headed towards them. He quietly summoned one of his hounds, he removed its headband and jacket, to make it appear to be a normal dog.

The grey canine raced over to the car causing a scene, he was perfectly capable of speaking English and yet he utilized his appearance and acted as a regular dog may have. He whined and barked, spun in circles and wagged his tail the way a distressed dog may have. Satoru and Nya looked at the dog curiously.  
"Say, didn't the Sannin lose his dog?" Satoru said, "perhaps this is the one Saura went on about."  
"I think this dog is just a runaway Imperial." Nya replied boredly, "I believe the Saura described that other mutt differently."  
In the distraction Kakashi had killed the two men by his lover. Orochimaru was so in pain he didn't even realize the men were dead. The copy ninja placed their bodies behind the trees and lightly helped his lover up. This caught the Sannin's attention, at first he tensed and tried to obey, assuming it was a soldier. But he recognized the gentle and helpful arms wrapped around him. His golden eyes, pained and dimmed now lit up. He seemed almost in disbelief. As if he wasn't sure whether it was Kakashi, or whether he was going delusional with pain. The copy ninja realized the Sannin was hardly in the position to even walk.

There was no way he could run to hide in the forest in such a state, so the Jonin picked him up in his arms and held him to his chest. His summoned dog caused havoc and eventually Satoru raised a gun and shot at the floor to scare him off. The summoning, intelligent enough to know when the man was faking and serious, pushed on. He gave his summoner enough time to pick up the small ninja and get away. Kakashi leapt through the trees his arms still tightly holding the other ninja to him. Orochimaru was dazed, and the hurried speeds made his hazy mind no better, he swore it was more the gasoline getting to his brain than it was his wounds. The toxin was causing havoc inside of him. Even in his semi unaware state he felt safer held closely to the other man, his slim arms looped around his lovers neck weakly. It was his only means of holding on to the other, his last attempt to make sure he would not slip away again. His hair covered his lowered face which he buried into the warmth of his partners jacket. There was nothing he could do in the situation, and he was dependent on the other. He was glad however that in one of his weakest hours, it was Kakashi who had found him.

Satoru was getting fed up with the dog which erratically bounced around, the highly intelligent animal found it easy avoiding any threats while distracting them all the same. It was going smooth until he slipped up when a soldier, with no real care for animals, raised his gun and shot six bullets one after the other. This time it was not a mock attack and the bullets narrowly missed the canine that yelped and backed off. When the man did not lay off him he accidentally slipped with his act of being a regular dog.  
"I'm leaving!" He yapped, but that in itself had stunned the soldier into stopping.  
"He is a ninja hound." Satoru said, the attempt at convincing them otherwise was unlikely, so he chose to rather evaporate into smoke. It was another thing he tactically speaking should not have done.

"He is a summoning." Nya retorted, she ordered her men to mobilize before looking over at the Sannin. Her eyes narrowed and she cussed as she saw her two guards missing and her prisoner vanished.  
"I've contacted the base, they'll send more men." Satoru said calmly, he took a gun from the back of the car and strapped it to his belt hidden under his cape. He then entered the forest personally as he decided he and his men would border off the area.  
The soldiers knew there was only so far the ninja could go, choppers and cars within in mere seconds had entered the scene and bordered off the entire forest. The ninja may have been lost somewhere in the thick terrain, but they were still trapped inside the circled off area. They could only hope to hide as running had become a hopeless option.

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Late night had fallen and the stars were blanketed out by the trees, Kakashi had gotten a hold of fallen branches and flammable roots but he was hesitant on using his flame technique to light them. He was concerned the flames would draw attention, the only light in the thick forest, the smoke would undoubtedly be seen if anyone passed them. However, still semi-unconscious Orochimaru was shaking from the cold. Kakashi tried to think of ways to stop the smoke from going into the sky, but that would only serve in trapping them in a smoky mess. Since they still needed oxygen he put two and two together and noted there was no real way to stop the flames from making them visible. He sat close by to his lover trying to share his body heat, at the same time, he could see the serpent was becoming weaker, and he was finding it harder to breath. His breaths were immensely shallow now and he seemed to be in a great deal of physical pain. He had blood on his shirt, practically changing its colour to a blackish red. Kakashi was no medic, he dared not remove the fabric stuck to the wounds. After all, he had no bandages or fabric suitable to act as a means to stop him from bleeding out.

The copy ninja was praying his partner would find the strength to regenerate but it seemed as if he was fighting an unfair battle against the toxin ingested and the multiple sever wounds inflicted. Kakashi gently wiped blood away from his eye as he brushed black strands out of his partners face. He had a few gashes only a breaths distance from his golden eyes, and the copy ninja could only be thankful none of it had blinded him. Orochimaru would attempt to talk to the man holding him, but he would end up choking violently, or simply rambling something which made no sense. He had never been one to fall to poison, but even poison was natural. The chemical in the toxin he had been subjected to was far different, perhaps however, he would still be immune to it killing him, that was all the copy ninja could hope for now.  
Kakashi tried to keep his partner as warm as possible, he was eventually unsure if the male was cold or simply shaking from his injuries. Blood had now stained the Konoha Jonins top, transferring from the ninja he held onto his own body. The only reason Kakashi even noticed it was the fact that it meant the smaller ninja was losing blood quicker than he should have.

He couldn't summon anything of use, he couldn't heal, he didn't even have any supplies to help the wounds natural healing process. What was worse was that he was alone with his dying lover, helpless and surrounded. He could not even look for the nearest hospital. He was stuck in the enemies fortress watching someone he cared about suffer. If he could have taken every injury on the other ninjas body he would have without thinking. He was pretty sure it would hurt him less to feel the physical wounds that it was to watch someone he loved endure them instead. He ran his fingers through his dark hair in attempts to bring some kind of small reassurance.

Being the proud ninja that he was, the Sannin kept trying to force himself up, to force himself to talk, to tell the other man he was fine, and that he wouldn't die here, he wouldn't die ever. It never worked out that way, he would simply show that he was too weak to even defy the situation with words. In return the copy ninja would gently hush him, and his calm voice would manage to settle the serpents pride. Kakashi stared at the dense woods ahead, the pitch blackness only a few meters in front of them. He didn't know if there were animals in these man made forests, but he was sure there were. They had after all simply taken a piece of land and covered it. Undoubtedly some natural inhabitants had been trapped along with their society.

He decided finally that perhaps he should keep walking, although he was exhausted from out running the soldiers, the military had taken its own break, seeing as they figured the ninja were trapped anyhow. Kakashi got to his feet with the smaller ninja still held in his arms, Orochimaru, even half dead was rather unamused that he had to be carried like some damsel, but he supposed at the very least, he was glad it was once again the only man he would allow to see him so weakened. They carried on for what seemed like hours, until finally, in the distance was a single light. He knew for a fact that whoever had chosen to live out in the forest most likely did so to avoid the city dramas. In other words they would be blissfully unaware of the fact that ninja were lose with chakara. He went up to the door to see many other log cabins around, they did not have any lights on outside, which made Kakashi believe they were vacant. He knocked on the door as best he could before moving backwards slightly as the door slammed open. Orochimaru was asleep but he startled awake when the loud bang of the door caught his sleeping sense off guard.  
"Hello." The man who opened said, he looked down at the serpent and his eyes seemed to be shocked on many levels. Kakashi passed it off as the fact that the man had not expected to see a half dying ninja in his arms.  
"He needs help, I was wondering if you had a first aid kit." Kakashi said honestly.  
"He needs the hospital." The man said, he was shoved over as another man came to the door.

This time Orochimaru recognized his setting, it was the same men he had escaped before. On the night of the haunted house, he had run away from his kidnappers to end up saved by one of the men in the log house, however it turned out to be nothing more than another ploy. They had their own intentions with the ninja, but they failed when he ran from them. Now he somehow fatefully ended up back in their house. They allowed Kakashi to enter, but the Sannin tried his best to tell his partner to turn around and leave. Once again however, the white haired male innocently hushed him, in attempts to make him save his strength. He couldn't formulate words, he could only choke, and it hurt to choke, as it would pull on his injured body. He was shaking, and that made talking no easier. He tried in vain, but Kakashi was notably not happy with his efforts. He was under the impression that the Sannin was starting to go a bit delusional with pain.  
It was the same group of men, the snake recognized all of them expect for two new faces. He had run out of breath so he stopped his complaints to attempt to regain some oxygen.

The men got out bandages before telling Kakashi they had no way of contacting the hospital to report the need of aid. The copy ninja did not find this suspicious, the serpent knew it was a lie but could not reveal it to his lover. If anything, the Jonin was happy the man could not call for aid. It meant they could not tell the military where they were either, but it was still just a lie, none the less the only possible benefit to meeting up with the barbaric men was the fact that they did indeed have no knowledge of outside affairs. They brought out their first aid kit and Kakashi sat his lover down on the couch where he tried to get back into the larger mans arms. The copy ninja found it weird but assumed it hurt to be lay down. He reassured the pale ninja unaware of what he was desperately trying to convey. The men idly stood around, some looking rather sleepy and still not quite awake while others seemed to have been fully woken and we're now more than keen to be a part of the action. Saura had said they most likely would have wanted to kill him when they first caught him, or perhaps even something slightly more sinister, but it was all cult related he had said. After all, it was Halloween and all the bored people of the world tended to go for the darker side of moon. They thought themselves important, they would sacrifice black cats, or now days, even ninja. They probably had many weird ideas of rituals.

Saura has insisted it was due to them being bored and uneducated, or that they were a bunch of men with no luck in the real world, so they got together to form their own little twisted group where they found unity in madness. He said they were the types of people that needed to be shot rather than to get psychological help. He was evidently never a man for mercy, and in all honesty, at the time, Orochimaru had respected that. He supposed all was fair in love and war. He did not hate the man for ratting him out, for getting him stuck in this situation, he didn't expect Saura to care for him. If it had been Kakashi it would have shattered his every fibre, but since it was merely an over attached enemy, the serpent did not hold grudges. He knew where the man stood now, and that to him was almost better than their previous relationship.  
He winced as Kakashi tended to his wounds, removing the bullets was probably one of the most painful parts as they were deep in his body and had been moved around in his escape already. His less severe wounds, the ones inflicted form stones and batons where simply cleaned up. There was no need to tend to them.

The men were clearly adjusted to injury, and that was supposedly normal as they lived with nature, and that came with many dangers. They had more medical equipment than the average household and allowed Kakashi to even stitch up his wounds. By the end of it, Orochimaru found his entire lower torso was bandaged tightly, his one arm was also tightly wrapped and he wore more bandages on his head as one may have a headband. He felt as if he had survived one of the great wars. It scared him to think of what may happen to their men dare they lose. He swore his wrist was broken, he had tried to cover his face when the men had hit him with their batons. But he couldn't tell the copy ninja that, thankfully his lover had picked up on it himself and had made a makeshift cast out of bandage and a piece of card board wrapped inside it for support.  
"What happened to him?" One man asked. Kakashi glanced up at him passively before returning to tending his lovers more minor wounds.  
"We were caught in the middle of a gang fight." He lied, "we had nothing to do with it, wrong place wrong time."  
"How did you end up here?" A man said trying to put it together.  
"Well the men in the fight were your citizens, we were ninja." Kakashi said, "the gang blamed it on us so we had to flee the cops. The forest seemed like the best place to hide but we got lost."

"Ninja have it rough." One man laughed, the laughter wasn't fitting, it may have been a joke to him, but to the ninja it was hardly amusing. Kakashi didn't allow it to irritate him, he owed them anyhow.  
"Tell me, the toxin that runs your cars-" Kakashi started.  
"You mean gasoline." One man informed him.  
"Yes that." The Jonin said, "if you ingest some of it, can it kill you?"  
"Yeah most likely, if left untreated." One man said, "depends how much, but usually you can survive it. I mean as long as you didn't drink a glass of the stuff."  
"Why?" One man questioned, "did you stumble into that somehow too?"  
"Same situation," Kakashi said, "they took their attack to a new extreme. How do you treat gasoline?"  
"I don't know." One man laughed, "never drunken the stuff myself."  
"Could treat it like other poisons." One man offered.  
"Nah man it's different, all poisons are different." One man chided.

"You're supposed to remove any clothing touched by the stuff, he mustn't breathe it in at all." One man said, "and if he is able to drink water on his own he must do so. If he can't drink it on his own don't give him anything or he will just choke."  
"Where are you pulling this out from?" One man laughed.  
"I swallowed the stuff once when I was a kid." The man said hesitantly, his friends scoffed at him, so he swopped topics, "the choking is very dangerous by the way. He may be choking because of other injuries or because he keeps trying to talk, but if he chokes he can get the stuff into his lungs. That could be the only reason he could potentially die, or else cause permanent respiratory issues."  
"I think he should manage to drink water, will that help?" Kakashi asked leaning his lover up after all his wounds were seen to. The only item of clothing touched by the gasoline was his shirt, which he had lost anyhow due to the amount of blood.  
"Yeah it helps. Gasoline attacks the chest and lungs, that's the only real threat if he didn't ingest a large amount." The man said, "do you know how much he swallowed?"  
"Less than a glass." Kakashi said as he recalled the memory.  
"Then he just needs to drink water, stop talking and rest." The man said.

Kakashi nodded and thanked the man as he brought a glass of water. Orochimaru wasn't keen on putting anything down his throat after the gasoline. The mere thought of it made him greatly uneasy, he didn't fight Kakashi when he helped him drink the water however. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with doing it, but he was not objecting it with the man he trusted. When he was done he couldn't say he felt a great deal better, but his throat felt less inflamed than it had.  
"He can go sleep in my room." The man said, "he will need to stay in bed for a few days to recover from his injuries."  
Kakashi picked his partner up and followed the man inside, being bandaged certainly was more comfortable than bleeding out, but he was most unsettled being in the dark room with men he knew were not as kind as they pretended to be. The man told Kakashi he should wash the blood and gasoline out of his own shirt and the copy ninja agreed as he followed him out the room. He lightly kissed his fallen partners forehead as he left him in the warm sheets. He was fearless, as he felt he was perfectly capable of defending them now that he had his jutsu back. And supposedly the Sannin decided that perhaps that was true, Kakashi could use all his abilities, there was no likeliness that he was going to killed.

Orochimaru despite being drained in every physical and mental sense of the word, found it impossible to sleep. He could hear his lover across the hall talking to the men, politely making conversation and thanking them for their help. They were equally as chipper in nature and offered him a drink which it sounded as if the copy ninja refused once but then finally surrendered and took one. The Sannin allowed himself to try and drift off, but the sound of boots on the wooden floors destroyed that chance. His voice was still gone, and he wondered if he would ever be able to speak again, perhaps only once he had regenerated. The door opened allowing a thin beam of light to sneak across the floor. Orochimaru's golden eyes watched the man entering, his heart sunk when it was not the copy ninja. He lay on his side, the sheets covering most of him. Yet, just with his upper chest and arms revealed he still felt rather naked around the man. After all, he didn't have a shirt on and the man was a stranger, what was more he was pretty unable to move. Or even scream for that matter. The man hadn't entered looking at him thankfully, he had merely entered and analysed the room, appearing to be looking for something inanimate.

However moments later another man entered, he instantly looked from his friend to the serpent. The Sannin felt like a defanged cobra, so mesmerizing for those watching. Something that was generally a spectacle from a far due to its ability to kill, but now, in its defenceless position, it became something so curiously satisfying. They could see him for what he was with the mask of power now gone. Then again, he was fragile and feminine in appearance, slim and with a pale porcelain complexion. He must have always seemed weak to them, they did not know of his past. The persona he had worked so hard to create, to make his small form an aura to be feared. It was what snakes did best, they were small and delicate, yet no larger predator would tamper with one. They knew of the dangers.  
"We disturb you princess." The man said as he noticed his friend enter and the ninja stir.  
"Look at his eyes ey?" The friend who had entered second said in an odd accent. The first man to enter looked between the other male who spoke then back at the snake summoner.  
"Like a cat." He said.  
"I'd say snake." The other replied, he came closer. Orochimaru sat up, he regretted it immensely. His entire body felt an agonized shooting of pain and he tried his best to hide the uneasy discomfort in his eyes. The man laughed.

"Don't be scared." The second man to enter said, his words created the opposite outcome to what he said, although, perhaps that was his intention. Orochimaru wanted to speak, but he knew it would result in nothingness coming out. If he even got that far. He didn't notice he was putting pressure on his wrist, he simply willed he would get more chakara. However he wasn't sure when he would be able to create more. Satoru had stabbed him with that strange sword like device, and it had terminated whatever chakara he had made in the time he was free. Since then, he had no luck with creating more chakara, and he had used it all when they had tortured him. The other man simply watched his friend out the corner of his eye, he made no move to intervene as he returned to looking for something.  
"What's that?" The man said curiously as he picked up the half seated Sannin's hand. Orochimaru pulled away and tried to tell him to back off. He ended up coughing again and his slim form fell slightly forwards, his hair shielding his face. The man clucked his tongue and tried to help the ninja as he coughed by placing a hand on his back. It didn't make him feel any better. Thankfully, the sound of his lovers struggled breath had brought Kakashi straight into the room. His questioning eyes met the man who laughed in amusement.

"You ninja are paranoid huh?" He joked mockingly, "calm down, I just wanted to check out his tattoo. He didn't seem like the type for a tattoo. It have meaning?"  
Kakashi moved to his partners side, he knew the snake was probably disgusted at the foreign man's touch. The latter of which moved so that the copy ninja could get closer. He soon realized the tattoo the man spoke of was in fact the ninjas summoning tattoo. Kakashi traced the familiar pattern with his eyes before he sat next to Orochimaru, who evidently seemed rather grateful for the interruption.  
"It's not a tattoo exactly." Kakashi said, he seemed fine being honest, perhaps it was only the Sannin who felt it necessary to hide every detail as it had become second nature to him, "it's a summoning mark. Ninja get them when they sign a contract with another creature."  
"Heard about that. Thought it was bullshit." The man who had been searching for something said, he had a shirt in his hand before he tossed it at Kakashi, "you can borrow that, ya know for while your shirt dries."  
"What creature were you signed up to beautiful?" The man still a bit too close for the copy ninjas liking said. The name beautiful also seemed to agitate the Jonin who passed a warning glance over before he spoke.  
"Snakes." He replied, "I think we should let him rest though."

"Just came for the shirt." The first man said leaving the room casually, his friend was less eager to leave he looked at the Sannin one last time.  
"Snakes... Had to choose something as creepy as snakes huh?" He muttered as he exited the room. Kakashi looked down at the Sannin and pecked him lightly on the head again.  
"Sorry for leaving you alone with them. I didn't realize he was entering your room." He apologized, knowing full well that it had probably caused the ninja some stress. He knew his lover well by now, knew how anxious he truly was, or rather, how untrusting. Orochimaru nodded as if to say he was fine, because he knew bothering with words was pointless.  
"Your shirts clean, it just needs to dry... Full of holes though." Kakashi admitted, "just one or two minor ones from the bullets and whatever Satoru was wielding."  
Orochimaru didn't much care what state his shirt was in, he was simply happy Kakashi was beside him again. Since he didn't have any ability to talk he expressed his want for the others company by moving closer and settling into the man's chest, Kakashi laughed as he caught the hint.  
"I'll go wash my top, you can't be around more gasoline." Kakashi said, "then I'll come right back."  
Orochimaru watched him warningly, he could just about hear what the snake summoner was thinking as his golden eyes were pinned to him, "you better come back-fast."

"I will be as quick as I can." Kakashi said as he helped the Sannin get comfortable, he tried to lie him down, but the snake summoner made it clear that he was only going to lay when the other lay beside him, until then, he would sit and wait. It was the stubbornness the copy ninja both loved and hated. He got up and exited the room, making sure to close the door so that the Sannin felt slightly safer. Unlike most people, the Jonin knew the serpent felt safe alone. For as long he knew it would stay that way. He exited the room in hopes of making his words true, he didn't want to keep the serpent up, he wanted him to rest, even if that meant lying beside him. Orochimaru felt his throat starting to ache again, and he wished he could rather simply rip the pain out even if it cost him his life. It was starting to become unbearable and he had no medication to numb the cruel sensations. He lifted his unbroken hand to lightly guide hair out of his face, when he was looking up again there was a figure in the doorway. The light from the hall was blinding now that he had adjusted to the darkness of his room. He squinted slightly before trying to check if it was Kakashi, but it wasn't.

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Kakashi soaked the last of his lovers blood from the shirt he would wear again when dried. His head started to get a bit dizzy, he blamed it on all the washing and over working he had been doing. Red ran down the drain mixed with some black from the gasoline which turned out to be harder to remove than the blood. He frustratedly tried his best to completely eradicate any trace of the toxin but it would only be rendered into a light grey colour, it was a stain, but the toxins were long gone from the fabric. This settled his mind and he was edgy to get back to the Sannin so he decided it was good enough. He hung it up where he had placed the other ninjas shirt but he was then half bashed into a man who wore a green jacket.  
"Woah." The man said, "you okay? You look kind of pale."  
"I feel fine." Kakashi lied, was he getting sick he wondered? He couldn't keep up the lie for long since his next step was a rather clumsy one and the man in the green jacket was forced to help him regain his balance.  
"You sure about that?" The man tried again, "sit down for a second."  
Kakashi wasn't planning on sitting anywhere other than where his lover was, but it didn't work out that way, he was moved to the small lounge.

"I'm honestly fine." Kakashi said, but it was a weak attempt, after all, his legs were no longer even trying to support him, and his mind felt as if it were looping around. The man in the green jacket watched him before slightly forcefully pushing him onto the couch.  
"Nah man, sit down for a second." He said as another man came to talk to him. Kakashi looked at the time, it was two in the morning, and he had already promised his lover he would return. He didn't want to take longer than necessary. However when he tried to sit he couldn't. He was sent into mild panic when he realized his body was completely ignoring his every command. His jutsu was not working, nor his legs, arms or even hearing eventually. He started to slightly freak out even despite trying his best to remain calm. One of the men laughed when they saw him fight whatever was controlling him. He couldn't figure out what exactly was happening, they hadn't attacked him with anything. No odd devices lay around to bind his chakara, and even if they had why was he unable to move. He was falling unconscious and eventually his eyes shut themselves. He could hear the muffled laughter before another man spoke.  
"Never taken anyone that long to go down." He said, "I almost thought we'd have to drug him again."  
"You never know with ninja." The laughing man said, "they know how to fight."

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Orochimaru watched the man wearily, he didn't want to act alarmed before he had done anything. After all, if a fake confidence was all he had he may as well try use it. The man shut the door behind them, which was the first alarming thing he did. Then he heard a man laughing inside, an almost sadistic laugh which did not fit the air it formed in. Orochimaru's eyes darted from the noise to the approaching man. He sat down on the bed with a glass in his hand. He offered it to the Sannin.  
"Its water, you should drink more." He said. The snake summoner didn't want to take it, for his instincts told him not to. He was used to his usual paranoid self, but he was still inclined to trust his instincts. The only issue was he was unable to speak and that made matters harder as there was no polite way to decline. He could not use his talents in manipulating the human language now that he had no way of utilizing his own vocal box. Another man entered in a rush.

"What's the point in taking this one?" He said, "Look how injured he is, won't stand the first round."

"Don't be an idiot." The man holding the glass said, "Look at him, he doesn't have a single uninjured piece of flesh yet he isn't down and out. What better odds in a fight than a ninja who can't be put down."

"He looks small… I still think we should go for the bigger ninja." The man stated hesitantly.

"That's why all the ninja you pick up die in the first round." The man said trying to get the Sannin to drink, now that they were speaking oddly the serpent was completely unprepared to listen, "Bigger doesn't mean better in the ninja world. It's all about how they use their skills. A kid can kill an adult if he is smart enough; I figure these two must have some kind of shot if they survived guns with no chakara."

"If you say so. I'm not betting on him though. The other one seems reliable, competent even." The man said leaning in the doorframe, "I mean I get they don't have to be the biggest ninja around, but this one is like pitting a cat against a dog. I don't care how skilled the cat is. In a serious fight it's going to get torn to shreds."

The man offering the water smiled, he seemed to find something amusing about the scenario presented. The Sannin hardly found it to be. Orochimaru wanted to get up and run, wanted to go and find Kakashi who he hoped was still alright. He had no way of running, still far to plagued by injury.

That wasn't going to stop him from trying, he made for his feet but the man swiftly stopped him with a rough hand. It hurt to be pushed back when his body was still so early in the recovery process. He winced and a small whimper half escaped his pained throat. The man looked irritated.

"Drink this you dumb bitch." He said finally fed up, he was met with narrowed slitted eyes which were the lightest thing in the room, casting away the darkness as a cat's eye might.

The water was once again shoved towards him but the Sannin struggled and half of it fell onto the bed which caused the man to cuss.

"Fuck now look." He said irritably, Orochimaru hardly felt apologetic for the mess. The men would be damned if they thought another being was going to force something else down his throat in the same chaotic day. He fought the man off but it eventually caused him too much fatigue and his wrist and flesh wounds started to object. He backed off for a moment with his struggles but it was all the man needed to become fed up, so he roughly grabbed the ninja's broken hand and dragged him away from the bed towards the man by the door. Orochimaru was distracted by the pain that shot up his arm and didn't give much of a fight when the second man detained him. The Sannin tried to call for Kakashi but he started choking once more.

It was all fruitless in the end and he soon found he had been forced to drink whatever was in the glass, although it appeared to be water he knew it had to be something else. Or perhaps it was poisoned, or drugged. He didn't know which but he knew it was slowly making him lose the ability to control his own body. He was now only supported by the man that held him before he was cast in utter darkness.

Authors note: Hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter. A gigantic thank you to Vampirdoll666for the constant lovely support, always such a pleasure reading your comments. So a very large thank you!

I am away at the moment, but I'll try stay up to date, I hope to hear from everyone reading, have a good week everyone~


	12. The Dark Side of the City (Part one)

_"_ _When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw._ _"_

 _The boy raced the water until finally his light feet ran across the blue ripples. He taunted the ocean innocently as he stayed on top of it, defying its natural danger. But he was only five years of age, and a ninja so young should never even attempt such an advanced jutsu. His black hair was only down to his shoulders, it was long for a child his age- it was long for a boy. He didn't mind it, what was the small difference anyway. He skidded about looking down at his own reflection happily, his golden eyes caught his stare and bounced back. He had bright eyes, eyes brighter than most humans- all humans. He didn't mind that either, how was the slitted orb possibly anything more than what it was- different. He did a few bounces and flips across the uneven waters flow as he practised evading enemies for battles he was sure he was going to win, he wanted to be the greatest ninja ever. He aspired to be as good as his mother and father one day._

 _He was impressive for such a young ninja, and a well-known proclaimed genius. He grabbed make shift wooden kunai from his pouch, also made to be played with, its fabric soft and light. He threw the kunai at a large rock jutting out from the breaking waves. Smaller creatures skittered around the vast expanse of white sand, unaware of the boy who was standing on terrain the gods had claimed man would not walk on. The boy stopped his jumps and dives to stand in a readied stance before launching to continue fighting invisible enemies with a wooden kunai still clasped in his small hand. The flesh on that hand whiter than the sand, whiter than it should be. He didn't mind that his skin was pale-but the villagers did._

 _He stumbled and he fell through the water he had been fighting on. There was a loud splash, but not so loud, after all the boy was small and not much water had to move aside to swallow his form. He choked up mouthfuls of water and he took a moment to realize he had even been submerged. The air was replaced by the ocean but in only split seconds he found he was being carried out. He choked softly, his black strands hanging defeatedly beside him, wooden kunai floating in the currents from his previous training. He looked up when focus returned to see he was being held to his father's chest. His father did not share his unique features- his father was not different._

 _The boy was placed gently on the beach sand, the creatures long since scattering when the father had rushed to the ocean, rushed to catch his child when he made a mistaken step, when he lost focus. His father never scolded him for being reckless, he laughed lightly and asked if his son was okay. He checked him over to ensure he had not swallowed too much water and he stated how very impressed he was with just how capable the five year old was. The boy looked up happily, and although he may have on any other day burst into tears due to his unpleasant fall into the depths, because his father's proud eyes watched him he found no tears surfacing. He found himself explaining how he would train further, become stronger, and in due time become more competent in his training._

 _His father never worried about his son harming himself badly in his training, he knew to give the boy room to discover what he needed to. After all, what would ever happen when the man's protective eyes were around. It was the same as when the villagers called the boy names, when they whispered he was a monster, or when they accused him of being evil. His father would make his own child deaf to those words, make sure he never heard the insults or feel the hatred. Because once again, how could these words do his child harm if he was around to deflect them? But that was where the problem lay, for what was to happen when the father was no longer there._

Orochimaru startled awake to find himself in a dark cold box. He found out soon enough that it was a cage fit for a dog, with only one side open with bars. Beside his cage was another cage, but he could not see the resident in it. He tussled at the bar but it hurt to move and he winced before he settled back down with a hand to his own stomach. He wanted to call out to check if perhaps it was the copy ninja he had been placed with, but he soon realized it wasn't when the man coughed and then cussed. It was not a sound the Sannin recognised, but it was followed by another unfamiliar voice yelling for the man to shut up. He banged at his own cage to get more of a response from the other inmates and he got one. A low voiced male who grumbled a threat.

The Sannin would have banged again but he was stopped as the entire floor and cage jumped in the air and slammed down. It hurt tremendously, but Orochimaru figured out the humming sound he had heard was the engine of a van, and he was crammed somewhere in the back in a cage as was a few other men. He tried to look out his bars but it was dark, even for his well-adapted eyes. He did not mind the slightly over bearing heat too much, he was always one to appreciate the warmth more than the cold. He was finding the air rather stagnant though, but it was too be expected as he was crammed in a box with many other oxygen stealing humans. He slumped against the back of his cage to find he could hear the shuffling of a resident behind him. He curiously wondered where he was being kidnapped too, it would not be the first time, and he was certain it would not be the last.

He was ever so slightly reassured in the fact that at least he was not alone. There were many other occupants sounding in the vans boot. They must have hit another bump for the cage bounced and banged again leaving all the men wincing and cursing. All expect the snake summoner, he had no voice to cuss with. He merely sat against the back of the cage looking through the thin bars his eyes finally adapting to the area. He realized why his eyes had taken longer, his cage was pretty much against the van wall, and the metal almost completely blocked him into the darkness. The van shuddered and came to a stop, the humming going out. It was replaced by the anxious mutterings and grumbles of the men before a blinding light revealed itself when the vehicle door was aggressively opened. The cages were dragged out with equal attitude and they slammed to the floor purposefully causing their occupants unnecessary pain. Orochimaru held his broken wrist to his chest to shield it as his cage was dropped.

He couldn't help but feel like an animal going to the slaughter house, little did he know he was close enough with his analogy. The cages were opened one by one, Orochimaru could only slightly see from where he was by watching the men's elongated shadows. Suddenly a woman's voice entered the air, her tone dry and uncaring. She spoke about skill and money. Then her shadow stopped by a cage.

"Too scrawny- he won't last a day." She said, the Sannin could then hear her walk away before a gunshot sounded. Her footsteps paused before she released an exasperated sigh and spoke again, "For hells sake Ruien. I didn't give you the fucking go ahead to kill him."

"You said you didn't like him." The apparent Ruien said, he was a familiar voice, the man who had shoved water down the Sannin's throat. Or at least, the man who had passed off a drugged beverage as water the night before the Sannin lost memory. The woman lost interest and carried on examining cages. She was heavily sarcastic with the next few.

"He'll also be eaten alive- but don't kill him you fuck." She would snap, she eventually came to the Sannin's cage and looked at him. It was his golden eyes which caught her first.

"Is this normal?" She said somewhat excitedly, she made to open his gate and the snake almost felt like shying to the furthest corner. He didn't as his pride dared him too. She gestured for him to come out and when he tried to Ruien appeared to drag him out by his hair before grabbing hold of one of his wrists, thankfully the unbroken one. The woman looked dirty, her hair was short and she held a cigarette in her hand while she sported a black dress which failed to look classy and passed off as a cheap and tasteless purchase. She was however taller than him, like all of the men standing around the Sannin for that matter. He wasn't a fan of looking up to everyone both physically and in his rank due to being a ninja. She ran a hand through his hair and then noticed he was injured only after she was done fully freaking him out. He hissed, the first sound he had uttered in what felt like ages. She got a slight fright and stumbled backwards before her cheap heels wavered and caused her to half fall.

Orochimaru watched her with a hint of warning in his eyes, she didn't take notice as she was too preoccupied with her embarrassment of falling. Straight after her tumble Riuen had burst out laughing, and he wasn't silenced by her stare, he still held on to the Sannins arm and his grip tightened uncomfortably when he fell into hysteria. Orochimaru tried to get away from his hold but the man slowly stopped his laughter and looked down at the serpent tugging harshly on his arm.  
"Watch your manners ninja." He said, he was making a threat by informing him light heartedly that dare he step out of turn again he would be punished. As it stood the Sannin was not too afraid of anyone's punishment. The woman came to stand by the golden eyed ninja again this time with more guts.  
"Like I was saying." She started, "his eyes- they're nothing like I've seen. Is he like the others? He can't be a pure ninja, maybe some kind of hybrid."  
"Pretty sure he is just a ninja." Ruien replied twisting the Sannin around to better look at him before taking out what was best described as an adjustable metal dog collar. Orochimaru hissed again but the man was not afraid of the deadly sound. If anything the woman and two of the men tried to act discrete as they shuffled away, putting distance between the unknown male.

The Sannin was horrified to find out he had been rather right in his assumption of the device and it was strapped to his neck. But not before he put up a rather decent fight. He only had one hand that was usable and it happened to be the hand which was being held tightly. He struggled and hissed to get away from the neck piece but it only furthered to annoy the man restricting him. Either way Ruien seemed rather competent at what he did, or even as if he was rather used to the fight for freedom. The snake was eventually settled with force and the collar was around his neck, choking him ever so slightly with the unnecessary tightness. His yellow eyes shot daggers at the man, purely because it was all he could really do now that he was injured and even more breathless than he had been. It was when the collar was on that the woman approached again.  
"By the gods themselves." She said, "look at the state he is in. Hope you're not putting him into the ring looking like that."  
"What's the difference?" One man said, the group turned to face him, "look at the size of him, they'll eat him alive regardless. At best we can use him as bait."  
"They're going to tear his pretty face a part. That's a bit disappointing." One man said running a hand through his hair, another nodded.  
"It's a pit fight, not a runway. Get over it." Riuen said irritably.

"We know that you fuck." The man addressed replied, "that's why we said its a waste."  
"Then get out of the sport if you're going to be disappointed with the end result." Riuen said with little sympathy to the man's reply. Orochimaru wished he had the full use of his voice, but he could still feel the ebbing hollowness in his lungs and chest. He was handed over to the man who had moments ago snapped at Riuen, and the man took him over calmly. His grip was not as tight, and his presence not as dominating in nature. It was a definite upgrade, but all the same it was not the snakes ideal situation. The man glanced down at the smaller male and then looked back over as the woman and Riuen moved on to other cages. Orochimaru noticed that it was only ninja being taken out of the cages, and he figured that it made sense, as no one was ever going to search for missing ninja. Finally Orochimaru saw Kakashi being taken out of one of the cages. He had jutsu Orochimaru realized hopefully, but then he realized that if he did, why hadn't he used it by then? The copy ninjas bandana had been removed to reveal his red eye. The strange pattern of black embedded in the crimson once again caught the men's attention. Kakashi was more interested in checking up on his lover. He glanced over to look at the Sannin almost apologetically. Guilt was once again reflecting back at the Sannin causing him to wonder why.

He knew it was the copy ninjas most endearing and most challenging trait. He took the blame for everything, and he took the responsibility for everything. If anything happened when he was around he was always the one to take the hit hardest. He felt it was up to him to protect everyone. That it was up to him to defend those he cared about until his own very end. He had his own twisted interpretation of loss. He was always more distraught about letting the person down than his own sorrows. He was always putting others above himself, their needs above his own. It was that reason that he stressed to make sure everyone was fine, and that he placed himself under so much pressure. Orochimaru knew this was unavoidable. He was injured severely and Kakashi had looked for somewhere to take him to heal. Had he not, he would have bled out. And what was more, now that the Sannin thought about it, the two of them had been smuggled out of the woods in the van, they were placed in small metal boxes and driven out past the military circling the forest. It was a feat they would not have managed on their own. The Sannin flashed a sweet smile over to his partner, to try and tell him he was rather fine with the current events. Kakashi seemed puzzled at how the other male could possibly see any good in their situation. But he knew for a fact the snake had been in much worse circumstances and that this probably did seem rather mild in his eyes.

"Hurry up." One man snapped, "we are going to miss the first few fights."  
"We going to keep any of them?" Another man asked, "you know for personal use? Or to sell?"  
"Let's fight them, then sell the survivors after we know their skill set." Riuen said easily. The man seemed to agree with the answers, and he placed a collar on Kakashi. The copy ninja didn't put up a fight for his, he knew it was pointless as the men had ensured they're chakara was sealed with the drugs they had given the ninja. It troubled the Jonin greatly that they had that power, but it also made him more hopeful. It meant other ninja had their jutsu as well, for if they did not, average men of the city would not have managed to acquire anything to prevent it. The cages were loaded into the van again, the ninja were told to walk. There were about seven NW men and one woman. The ninja were about five and all male, the Sannin being the smallest among them. They walked where they were told to, feeling like dogs when they attached leads to the end of the collar. It wasn't a chain, but it was metal, a thick chord of some kind. Orochimaru didn't doubt that it had more than just the purpose of being dehumanizing and leading them. He was allowed to walk where he pleased to a large degree so he stuck close by to Kakashi who in turn did the same. The other three ninja minded their own business and proved that they did not know one another. They were passing through a desolate rural looking town towards a large bland building. It was a basic shape, a basic colour and the frame work looked old. Regardless of its unimpressive exterior, all the ninja were anxious to see what lay inside of it.

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"They've apparently closed all exits since we escaped." Asuma said to the group as they walked, Ino and Shikamaru looked back at him.  
"Really? So they know we escaped then?" Shikamaru said.  
"According to this device yes." Asuma said as he messed around with it, "if we master this thing we can get all their information. They've bordered off every exit in the sky and the ground. All except for one. That's under strict watch though. You can't even get close to it, miles before the actual door the military has set up camps leading up to it, you'll be running through and army to reach that door now. Watch dogs, barbed fences, tanks and trenches all lining it. They've even started building a wall with watch posts on it."  
"They protect their own citizens less." Hidan commented.  
"It isn't the most shocking thing I've heard about those barbarians." Kisame muttered.  
The ninja were walking through a forest that was far from the dome. They had headed in which ever direction they could and raced from their captors. Now they wondered what the exact point was. Looking back, they did not know who they would use to get as allies to form an army. After all, most ninja were either missing or else in the dome itself. They were not the best team to attempt to save ninja kind alone either.

Deidara was still silent, he would aid them when they asked and he would speak when spoken to. Other than that he made no effort to be a part of the group, he was too lost in thought. They all slammed on breaks when they sensed someone coming to them. They stood perfectly still, if it were an NW they would be out of luck, as they were still targets to guns and technology even out of the dome. Thankfully however, it was friend rather than foe.  
"Sasuke-kun!" Ino said as she rushed towards the black haired male. He stared back at them, haven sensed the team before they had sensed him. The Uchiha looked at them all before greeting Ino stoically.  
"I thought all the ninja residing in Konoha were captured." Sasuke said, he was awaiting an answer.  
"We broke out." Asuma said, "I thought you were one of the ninja a part of Konoha. Why were you not caught."  
"I was not in the village at the time of the attack. And I was not a fool so I stayed hidden in the only village left standing today." Sasuke said.  
"I thought the NW army raided all villages. Who possibly survived?" Asuma asked.  
"The Hidden Village of Cloud." Sasuke stated coldly, his eyes narrowed, "are you the only ones to escape?"

"Yes we were. At least that we know of." Asuma said, "how did Cloud do what Konoha could not, how did they fend off that army?"  
"They didn't. They reside on a moving island. The NW never found them, the ninja of the village decided it was best if they remained a secret." Sasuke said, "how did you all escape?"  
The two ninja were bouncing back question after question, all the while facing off unsure of whether they were friend or foe.  
"We need to attack the city. We are not safe, hiding won't last forever." Asuma said ignoring the last posed question, "take us to Cloud. We must speak to the Riakage."  
"I've already appealed to him about building an army. He won't do it, or at least he wouldn't. How did you escape? Could we use your story as a means to convince him?" Sasuke asked slightly irritated that the older ninja was wasting his time.  
"We can speak on the way to Cloud. I'll tell you all we know." Asuma replied. Sasuke watched him for a moment and then took one step backwards before turning around and heading into the thicker part of the woods. The ninja followed him where as Deidara watched him wearily. He was no fan of the Uchiha.

Asuma did as he said he would and explained what little he knew about obtaining the device, and then elaborated on what exactly the technological creation did. Kisame then joined the conversation to explain what lay inside the military's walls, and retold the story Asuma had done a bad job on.  
"Orochimaru is not the type to hand over such a device." Sasuke said after Kisame had finished, "why do you have it? Did you take it from him forcibly?"  
"You're one to talk Uchiha." Deidara snapped, he earned the attention of the others instantly.  
"What brings you to that conclusion?" Sasuke asked stoically.  
"You're stating things based on assumption. He gave us that device because he trusts us, and he believes we are allies." Deidara said, his angry eyes snapped back to the path behind them, "he almost died getting this thing to us and we just left him behind. So don't come out of the bushes, after not having to deal with any of the sufferings we did inside the dome, and assume we had to fight him for it. He isn't the same as he was before the original attack by the NW. He has changed, and out of all the people on this planet I don't think you can argue change is not possible. Not unless you admit you still wish to turn on your own allies."  
Sasuke watched him for a silent moment, but he was not put off by the words snapped, he was hardly perturbed by the hot headed blond.

"I don't much care who he is today." Sasuke said bluntly, "I simply wanted to know if we do stumble upon him, whether or not I can trust what he says, or whether I may as well run my blade through him."  
"As if knowing his motives would change a thing." Deidara said with a stoned stare, "you'd run your blade through your own mother. That's what you Uchiha do-"  
He had misspoken in the still irrational teens mind. He didn't react too much, but the Uchiha massacre, his family and his brother. Those were topics best left alone, for disturbing that water would instantly remind the opposer that still waters ran deep. It was in mere moments that Deidara saw an activated Sharingan staring back at him, daring him to say one more word, reminding him of the nightmares he was guaranteed to face dare he say more. The blond hesitated for a moment, he could not pretend he did not fear those powerful eyes, and if he had ever thought Itachi had a stare which could silence a room, the hatred and anger behind the younger brothers eyes would surely remind him to rethink his previous decisions. He had been told Itachi was the gentler one of the two, no one believed it, for the eldest had a dark history. But perhaps history was not always the best thing to base a final decision off after all. He found he had silenced himself due to the males threat and he had remained that way for long enough for the Uchina to assume he had backed down. It angered the blond that the other thought that, but he didn't have it in him to pick up fight again. They moved on through the woods until they reached a waterfall.

The ninja were not all too surprised when Sasuke took them through it. There were many things hidden in mountains, and it was a notorious trade mark of the Hidden Cloud. Naruto haven been the first to be shown one of their caves when Bee had finally trusted him. It was now Sasuke's turn to be trusted it seemed, but the cave was not a cave but more of a tunnel which lead them through the mountain. Once on the other side they were by a coast, where Sasuke proceeded straight across the water. The group followed and looked around. They could only see a vast amount of water. Such a grand village would be noticeable if it were close by. However it was nowhere in sight, so the ninja uncomfortably followed the silent leader until finally he stopped a few miles from the land.

The mountain was still visible but they were too far to make out the coast line. They noticed there was a mild disturbance in the water they stood on. It moved unnaturally, it was unsettling as they looked at the odd patterns, and odd waves moving out of time and out of place. Sasuke preformed a few hand signs and suddenly the entire ocean rippled as a layer of red slipped out from it before a land started to materialize right in front of them. It finally made itself clear to be the giant turtle Cloud resided on, the creature had been cast over in genjutsu of some kind to hide itself until revealed, its strange movement in the water could not be hidden evidently as the ocean was disturbed by its large fins regardless of the genjutsu. However if a plane flew overhead it surely would not be noticed.  
Sasuke lead them on to the mountain, not checking up to see if anyone was getting left behind once, it wasn't up to him who lived or died. He didn't care for the others, he had his eyes set only on one thing.

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They were shoved roughly into cages and the sound of men and women yelling and becoming excited could be heard loudly echoing the dark building. There were no windows, no light, and they got separate cages. Kakashi was beside the Sannin, so they sat as close as they could next to each other with the dividing bars between them. Kakashi placed his hand on top of the Sannins slim one in reassurance. The sound of someone screaming in pain shot down the hall and the crowd became louder in excitement before a loud voice boomed from an intercom requesting the arena be cleaned and the new arrivals to be readied. The crowd got even more excited before they settled their sadistic sounding laughs and cheers. Orochimaru glanced over at the door when it opened, a man walked in and assessed the residents. The hall went on for miles, all lined with cages, cages occupied by ninja who sat distressed in the furthest corners. They begged and pleaded, some writhed in pain from infected injury while the rest sat in a desolate silence. The man stopped at the two ninja beside each other. Orochimaru met his eyes fearlessly, but he could feel Kakashi tighten his hand around the Sannins. He knew the copy ninja was not afraid of the man, he was afraid of the man doing something to the snake.

The door banged open again and a half mutilated man entered, being dragged on his chord like leash by a smug NW. He looked around at the cages as well and opened one swiftly before dragging out a resident. The man by the two lovers cage eventually opened the Sannin's door and entered the cage grabbing the lead attached, he didn't give the snake a chance to obey and instantly tugged.  
"We going to use this one as bait?" The man dragging the Sannin asked, Kakashi was by the door of his own cage already. The bars were stronger than he was however and as he tried to speak a circuit of electricity shot through him. He cried out softly and held the painful object wrapped around his neck as he fell to his knees. It completely stopped him from being able to move for the next few minutes, enough time for the snake summoner to leave. The latter of which hissed as he saw his lover fall to the floor. He was distracted when he saw another ninja, probably twice the size he was, big enough to physically snap him down the middle he assumed. The man glowered at him evidently full of anger and hate. They were kept slightly a part and the large male was put into a dark room to the left, while the Sannin was taken to the right. The serpent did not know they would end up in the same place regardless.

The announcer boomed again trying to psych the crowd up for the next fight, they did not need much coaxing. They cheered and screamed in anticipation, the sound naturally made Orochimaru feel uneasy, and he was tugged forwards harshly when he slowed down. He saw a light from the open door at the end of the hall and when he got to the opening he looked out into an arena. The stands surrounding it were large, and they were packed with more people than they could actually withstand. Every seat had almost two occupants wedged in it, some men even stood in opposed to waiting for another day. In the centre about fifteen meters a part were two cages, one was already filled with the ninja who had shot a hateful glare at the Sannin moments ago. He seemed ready to kill whoever he set eyes on, all except the NW men around him who he, although being almost twice their size, looked up to. It was then that the Sannin reminded himself to admit where he was. It was the same as dog fighting, except this time they were using ninja. They were expected to tear apart their opponents, and look up to the NWs as masters. Orochimaru was shoved into the empty cage, his lead was taken off but the collar remained. Then the arena locked itself, the door now sealed off, the crowd protected by a domed cage which was then sealed with glass. Not even the roof was open to allow the ninja access to the crowd.

Orochimaru let his eyes fall to the other ninja, there was one fundamental difference between the ninja and dogs however, they knew what the men wanted and they knew the unfairness of it all. They could refuse the battle, the Sannin stared at the enraged man hopefully, perhaps they could redirect that anger at the NW men rather than their own kind.  
"I won't fight you." Orochimaru said to the man, but his voice choked in fatigue.  
"Then you'll die new blood." He said, the name agitated the legendary ninja. Was this man so ignorant that he thought it a good idea to test the others patience. Then he remembered that with no jutsu, he was as good as dead compared to such a man. That was his thought before he felt a burst of chakara through his body. He looked up to see men by machines which looked a great deal like what the military had when they analysed the ninja. They would control the strain of jutsu- but the Sannin would not use it on his chosen foe. The doors opened and both ninja vanished from the cages. They had different ideas on what they were planning on doing however. Injury slowed the Sannin down for mere moments and the man took that upper hand to pin the snake to the floor. He raised a hand and chakara formed around it to add to his power. He never managed to hit the snake summoner, for he regenerated eagerly his pinned body turning to smoke while he slipped free into an uninjured form.

He couldn't believe how relieved he felt being able to breath normally, he felt alive, restored and completely renewed. He forgot just how grateful he was for his ability to regenerate. He moved easily out the mans way as he struck again, the crowd roared with excitement and the Sannin looked up at them with narrowed eyes before vanishing from his foe and appearing by the dome. He summoned snakes which appeared from his sleeves. They rammed into the glass attempting to break the dome shielding the crowd. His attempts to hurt them failed, and for some reason it made them all the more eager on the fight, evidently thrilled by his tenacity and spirit. The large ninja didn't join him, didn't realize the Sannin was legions superior in fighting. He attacked the legendary ninja again and forced him away from the glassed dome.  
"If you fight me-" the Sannin hissed, "you'll be forcing me to kill you."  
The man roared out in frustration as he struggled to land a blow on the much smaller ninja. The announcer boomed with an exhilarated voice, ranting about how the tables had turned, how the smaller ninja was somehow evading the other effortlessly.  
"Fighting one another is pointless we should both attack our captors." Orochimaru tried again, this time he only narrowly escaped a hit. It angered him.

The large ninja attacked and the smaller one dodged for another few minutes, the crowds voices growing louder and louder. Orochimaru tried convincing the man to back off, to aim his attacks where they mattered. He threatened the man and reminded him of their power difference, he tried everything, but the man ignored him until the NW men by the machine gave them more chakara to encourage rougher fighting.  
With this burst of power the man became more violent and determined, the Sannin was losing his patience and he couldn't dodge the man for eternity.  
"Why are we attacking our own?" Orochimaru hissed as he knocked the man back to gain some space, he made sure not to harm the man in the process. Perhaps he would grow tired.  
"Fuck you- we are not the same!" He spat, "I know who you are you freak-"  
The man was silenced as the Sannin counter attacked. He had not aimed to hurt the man once, he had only done what was necessary to dodge him. He felt slightly childish attacking only when the man personally offended him, he tried not to lose his temper when people insulted him. It looked weak, he didn't want his enemy to know they had wounded him. However haven tried to appease the man only to be scorned made the Sannin collapse his morals for a moment.

The man spat blood to the floor and wiped his lip, his next attack was more determined to draw his opponents blood, more determined to cause pain. The man never landed a blow.

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Kakashi could hear the cruel sounds of ninja fighting. The sound of chakara bursting around its host as it battled to keep itself as the victor. It sounded like a long fight, the crowd gave the impression it would stay that way until there were gasps and laughs and the announcer spoke again.  
"What an odd turn out." He laughed into the microphone causing the copy ninja to cringe at his somewhat sadistically amused voice. Kakashi felt slightly guilty for his thoughts, but he couldn't help that he hoped his lover had killed the other ninja if it did come down to that. He didn't want to lose the person he cared about, and he would much rather ignore the irrelevant death of a ninja he never even got to see. The doors slammed open and the Sannin was brought in, he got into his cage and moved over to the copy ninja. He was without injury, and the old wounds which plagued his form were now gone. Kakashi wanted to come to him but he was pulled out harshly by his collar. Orochimaru hissed as they rough handled the other but he had no way of stopping the man leaving. Kakashi was pulled down a dark hall as was another man about equal height and stature to the Jonin. The white haired Shinobi was calm as usual, never once letting any emotion flicker through his eyes. His opponent looked arrogant and smiled at the copy ninja before they parted ways.

They were both shoved into the cage and their leashes removed. Chakara flared around both of them however it was obvious that the copy ninjas was more controlled. The gates opened and the man across the field rushed him with chakara flaring around his body aggressively. It was far too honest an attack and the skilled Jonin dodged it without even trying. The crowd burst into applause as they carried on their one sided fight. Much like the Sannin previously had, Kakashi did not fight back but simply dodged. He tried to talk the man down but it became apparent that he was not willing to even listen. He didn't appear human as he fought and it made it hard for the Jonin to sympathize with him. Finally, Kakashi decided he was wasting his time merely dodging, he would eventually tire and he wasn't prepared to get hurt over someone less than human. He let blue lightening screech around his arm and the crowd gasped in amazement before cheering in an excited frenzy. He skidded past the man as the brute attempted to punch him before he counter attacked with the chidori. The man screamed out and landed harshly on the floor, rolling a few meters as he tried to stand up. He fell twice and then seemed to give up raising one hand to signal the copy ninja to stop.

Kakashi gave the man a moment, the mans eyes lifted up to his and they were full of fear and panic. He choked out a beg, a human sound, one the copy ninja could easily relate too.  
"Wait-please don't kill me-" he said quickly, on one hand the Jonin knew if the tables had turned the other may very well have not stopped for him. At the same time, this man had been fighting for much longer in the hellish environment. He was likely a ninja of a great nation who had also attempted to reason with his first opponent. It was likely he had been severely injured, that he had been forced to kill or be killed and that he had chosen to live. There was nothing inhuman about the man, it was the spectators who had lost their sense of humanity. It was the people who caged them, harmed them and cheered for them to shed blood. Kakashi watched the man uneasily. How quickly had he turned to kill the man? Within seconds he had decided another life was void because he deemed him inhuman. The chidori around his hand died into nothing and he took a step back. The mans eyes widened, he evidently had not been shown mercy before and he seemed on the verge of not believing the act. The crowd waited for several moments and then started to get angry. They weren't satisfied with the lack of blood nor the lack of violence.

Both ninja were electrocuted from above but the copy ninja made a point of not flinching. Again they felt the sharp pang of unnatural warning. It eventually brought the copy ninja to his knees and he clutched at the collar knowing full well where the sensation was coming from. The man beside him didn't keep his pain hidden as he lost his temper. He threw agonized eyes up at the copy ninja who had braced himself to the pain and stood up breathlessly.  
"Just kill me." The man said, the fight no longer in him.  
"No." Kakashi replied, the pain was shooting through him, breathing was becoming hard and speaking would soon be impossible. He flashed warning eyes at the man when he took a laboured step towards him.  
"I won't last my next fight anyway." The man gasped out, he fell a few meters from the copy ninja when he tried to walk. The crowds disapproval grew when the man collapsed. The voltage increased and Kakashi fell to one knee again. He wasn't sure what they wanted him to do, they had successfully debilitated him with their tactics, he would not be able to fight anyone in the condition he was now in. Kakashi could feel the angered eyes pinned to his agonized form, he ignored their cries of annoyance as best he could and focused on remaining awake. The man beside him went limp and the electricity died.

The copy ninja watched his still body, his own chest heaving from the fatigue he now felt. He could have sworn they had destroyed his insides and he dared not move for the first few moments, almost certain he would simply break if he did. Two NW men came in with smug smiles as they attached a collar to the copy ninja to lead him off. He was slow, his muscles still trying to shake the feeling of the burning mechanical punishment, but they showed him little patience and he stumbled after them. He was dragged down the hall and the sound of angry and frightened men filled his ears, then a familiar hiss.  
"What did you do to him you bastards!" Orochimaru snapped as he saw his lover half tumble into his cage, his body still slightly shaken by the high voltage. The men cussed rudely at the Sannin and banged on his cage.

"Get back." They muttered, he did so, but only so that he could get closer to Kakashi.  
"Are you alright?" The Sannin asked, evidently desperate to get to him and distressed that he could not.  
"I'm fine." Kakashi said, he coughed and then added a quick word to try convince his partner again, "it's nothing, I just need a moment is all."  
Orochimaru looked angered that he could do nothing, but as he usually did he kept his emotions to himself and settled next to the bars.  
The men grabbed two more ninja and left, they did this several times until they opened the Sannins cage. They dragged him out and he defiantly tugged back. Kakashi had no energy left to protest when they removed the serpent, he watched them go however and decided he probably didn't need to anyhow. The Sannin was doing enough protesting for them both.

Authors note- Part one of the chapter, it was too loong to post as one whole chapter. Enjoy~


	13. The Dark Side of the City (Part two)

It didn't take long for the team to retell their story to the leader of Cloud. He was attentive at all times and his seriousness on matters reassured the ninja greatly, Deidara immediately requested they go back for the fallen comrades but he was quieted by Asuma and from then on remained sullen and ignored the conversation. He wasn't interested in building the army and he made that clear, once the details were fully explained he requested a room to stay in, and that as soon as they were ready to fight back against the NW city they were to call him. Kisame followed him off, more out of an act of kindness as he knew the blond wasn't fond of being alone despite his somewhat bratty demands to be. They two rogues weren't seen for the next few days as they stuck to one another's side and avoided the team.

Asuma and his two team members focused on helping teach the Jonin about the NW system, they requested Kisame better explain the military but he claimed he had said all he could to the Riakage already. That was the end of that. Sasuke came and left as he pleased heavily distracted by something which tugged on his ever clouded mind. When he was in the village he helped plan attacks or else trained, Ino and Shikamaru were the main ones to interact with the Uchiha and as it turned out they were the only ones he was willing to talk to. Hidan kept to himself and minded his own business often causing grief for Cloud citizens when he attempted to preform rituals to appease his god who he feared was upset with him neglecting his usual dedication. Ino sat beside the black haired teen with her comrade by her side. Shikamaru was silent and enjoying the task which entailed little energy while Sasuke had a fixed stare.  
The blond was mindless when she sat as she really had nothing better to do in times of war. After training her job was complete and she had no home or friends to occupy herself with. She noticed Sasuke look over to her so she met his eyes steadily anticipating the question.

"Why did Kakashi go back for Orochimaru?" He asked with no clear emotion.  
"Because he loves him." Ino said bluntly, she understood his curiosity after all they were both his teachers at one stage. He never did return to the make shift Konoha after the first NW attack. At least not for long, and he stuck to himself as matters were complicated. He took flight to both Naruto and Sakura's dismay but they were busy helping rebuild and did not have time to indulge his dark motives. At least not until Konoha was established again, perhaps they had gone after the Uchiha later on, the seemingly motiveless Uchiha at that. But it was only weeks after Konoha got back to its feet that the NW army struck it down again. Sasuke looked at her troubled.  
"Love?" Sasuke said again. Shikamaru was heard lightly laughing.  
"You've missed a lot." He said glancing over his head resting in his arms, "they've been together for a while now."  
"That's... Unexpected." Sasuke said for once his composure slightly faulting, "are they happy?"  
"Well they aren't married." Ino stated, "if they weren't they'd split ways. But they seem rather content with their relations- you troubled by that?"  
"So Kakashi loves him," Sasuke started, "what does Orochimaru get out of their exchange?"  
There was a brief silence before Ino replied rather harshly.  
"The same thing as Kakashi." She said.  
"Is it some kind of alliance... With benefits?" Sasuke asked. The other two watched him carefully.  
"No." Ino said flatly. Shikamaru took over the conversation noting how his friend was losing her patience with the others shattering of romance.  
"They're like any other relationship." He said, "they care about one another and they've decided to spend their lives side by side."

"Orochimaru doesn't love." Sasuke said as he looked ahead of them, no longer meeting the angered blue eyes of Ino. She bristled like a cat as she settled herself more comfortably into a seated position.  
"Well clearly you're wrong about that." Ino said, she couldn't make herself comfortable, not after the last statement so she stood up, "you aren't the only one capable of change- you're not the only one whose actions need to be pardoned."  
Sasuke looked at her retreating back and allowed her to walk a few steps away before speaking.  
"I didn't mention anything about his past actions or his future sentence. If they are happy that's fine." Sasuke said, "I just think it's unwise to assume Orochimaru loves anyone. Not because he is incapable of it but because like most rogues he has learnt not to trust."  
She didn't stop walking but instead picked up her pace to round the village corner faster. Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his head.  
"That's going to be troublesome." He muttered rising to his feet. The Uchiha watched him slowly make his way after the wounded female, once they had both vanished from sight they vanished from his mind. He only had so much capacity to dwell on simple things anyhow.

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"How are the troops?" Hidan asked as he slumped down next to Asuma, he was no fan of the man but he was certainly not the type to hold grudges. His lack of care was evident in his general nonchalant nature. The Konoha Jonin looked at the man seated beside him in the training ground.  
"They are prepared." He answered, "and that's saying a lot. We have Nara and Cloud specialists working on the strategy and approach on the NW city. We need to free as many ninja as possible to expand our own attack force."  
"Sounds promising." Hidan said, "you included us in this right?"  
Asuma passed him a questioning stare, he didn't know what the man meant so he answered as best he could.  
"In the fight? There is no way to exclude a ninja. You'll march with the rest of them." Asuma said.  
"What will you do?" Hidan asked.  
"I'll lead with other selected Cloud Jonin." Asuma said steadily, he instantly noticed the mild agitation in the general passive mans eyes. It was a mere flicker and soon his usual composure returned.  
"Figures." He replied with a yawn.  
"Problem with that arrangement?" Asuma asked.  
"Just thought we should all get a say. Kisame has been inside the military's walls and Deidara and I are all far superior to front line Jonin." Hidan said, "but I get it, you don't want rogues in charge."  
"I'm glad you understand." Asuma said back, it was evident he didn't care if his honesty was brutal or unkind. He only saw things one way as of late and the immortal was in no mood to change his beliefs. Besides that, he simply wanted to rip throats out from his enemies, he didn't care about opinions.

The Riakage walked up to them, both ninja greeted him respectfully, Hidan in a more casual manner which almost hinted at disrespect. For some reason, one Asuma couldn't get on board with, the rogues behavior did not offend him nor put him on edge. He was rather accepting of their less than civil ways of communicating. Perhaps Cloud was a rowdier bunch than the Hidden Leaf.  
"We will send in a small but powerful group." He said, "we aim only to open gates to help as many ninja as possible. We don't wander and search for past allies- we get what ever we can. We don't have the luxury of anything else."  
"Understood." Asuma said, "when do we depart?"  
"Two days." The Riakage said, "I've picked out our best for the job. Hidan, I've struggled to communicate to Deidara the importance of this mission. We need his aid now more than ever. He will be a main way in and out. I want to repeat something to you which I hope you will stress to him, we cannot wander."  
"I'll let him know." Hidan said leaning on his blades handle the edges dug into the soil, "but I'm not his keeper, so don't hold me responsible for anything."  
"I wouldn't dream of it." The Riakage replied with a curt nod of acceptance. He left the two there after and Hidan would not see the leader again until he bid them farewell in the two days to come.

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It had been only a week but it felt like years. They fought day and night, they were electrocuted if they dared fuss or struggle and the ninja around them had become brainwashed savages. Kakashi still tried to tell the ninja to stop, gave them many chances to aim their attacks elsewhere, but he was forced to fight them and he won without fail. Orochimaru no longer cared, he would issue one threat, if it was not heeded he would put a quick end to his enemy. They were in separate cages but they could be close enough with the thin bars between them. Kakashi would often settle the Sannin who fussed with Kakashi's wounds. The copy ninja, unlike the snake could not regenerate a perfect form, so every mild injury was brought back with him. It certainly was never anything to worry about, however the Sannin somehow always thought it was.

"I'm fine." Kakashi said as he returned to his cage, he could see his lovers golden eyes bounce up to scan his body for wounds.  
"Are you sure?" Orochimaru said coming to the bars closest to the Jonin. Kakashi settled down beside him and nodded.  
"Certain." He said with a small chuckle.  
"Don't laugh you could get infected." Orochimaru said, "and that isn't the NWs concern either, they'll let you rot away."  
"I'll make sure to avoid the unavoidable then." Kakashi said looking over with amused eyes, he was met back with steeled yellow ones.  
"You better." Orochimaru replied reaching a slim hand through the bars to straighten his boyfriends shirt collar. Kakashi watched him with loving eyes as he worked to make the copy ninja presentable and neat despite being half coated in other men's blood.

The door slammed open and an NW man entered, he was rather angry looking but equally as scared. Two NW guards in the cell leapt to their feet puzzled.  
"What's wrong?" One asked.  
"We need to get them out." He said frantically.  
"What? Where are we moving?" The other asked, the man started opening all the cages before he informed the men to get out.  
"What the fuck?!" Another man asked.  
"The military is outside, let the ninja free they'll have us in prison if we are caught with them." The man said as he left the room after opening the back door. The ninja in the cages couldn't have jumped faster and exited past the men. Some were too fearful and kept to their corners wide eyed. The NW men left without looking back the sound of vans kicking to life as they attempted to get as far from their created crime scene as possible. The entire stadium was empty and now so were all the cages and dark hallways with the exception of a few traumatized ninja.

The doors from the far side were kicked in and the two lovers didn't hesitate to run. They had wanted to go to the machine to activate their chakara, but the sound of dogs and soldiers entering had them change their minds. Too much risk. If they got the tightly trapped collars off their chakara would return anyway as they were no longer as effected by the dome.  
They fled quickly and made off the opposite way to the crowd. The frantic runaways caused far too much destruction and drew unneeded attention. Kakashi heard the pleasant sound of his partners slightly mad laugher, a soft and amused sound the copy ninja appreciated. He threw questioning eyes at him wondering what fancied his humour.  
"And now?" He asked as he held the others hand pulling him forwards, the Sannins black hair elegantly danced behind them as Orochimaru took over the role of leading pulling Kakashi by the hand into the thick forest.

"They're fools." He said as they hid behind a tree, it was then that a loud bang emerged as the military started bombing the area ahead, "but they've just saved us."  
"I'm not going to join you on your humour." Kakashi said looking out from the coverage as military tanks trudged past, "but I agree, thank the gods for the distraction."  
"If we get these off we are free to use whatever chakara we need." Orochimaru said with a delighted smile, "I'm sure we can cut them off somehow."  
The hum of machinery faded and the two ninja stepped out to re-enter the old fighting ring, they headed for the machine but they struggled to reach it after the military had bashed down half the establishment. They climbed over a fallen pillar, Kakashi going over first then turning back to offer the smaller ninja a hand. Orochimaru allowed the Jonin to aid him up and they proceeded over the next few obstacles in a similar fashion. They got to the now broken chakara control panel and attempted to work it. This time Orochimaru took the lead as he messed with buttons, he found their device numbers and attempted to hack the poorly made system. It was far simpler than the military's machinery and was soon available for use. The device worked and then froze repeating that cycle until the Sannin felt like he would lose his mind. Some buttons no longer worked and others were broken clean off. The screen had a crack down the middle and it splintered into shattered glass on the edges. Orochimaru found what he was looking for however it didn't allow him to go further in his efforts. He ended up turning back empty handed to his partner.

"It's unresponsive I'm afraid." He said dismally, "so we will have to make a plan to remove the collars instead."  
"Have you turned chakara restrictions off?" Kakashi asked.  
"Yes." Orochimaru said, "but it's broken so it isn't doing as it is told."  
"And if it's fixed?" Kakashi asked.  
"It would work." Orochimaru said simply, "but I assume fixing this will require as much effort as removing our collars. If not more."  
Kakashi nodded and turned for the exit again, this time they made quick work of the pillars and walls and got to the road. It was a dusty road and they didn't know which way to head at all. There was one van left behind, a dead man occupying the drivers seat. It wasn't the most pleasant view but both experienced ninja had no issue removing the body. The mans wallet fell out and the Sannin scooped it up. He tossed it at Kakashi.  
"Keep that in case we need it." He said and his partner obeyed before looking into the car as the serpent clambered into the drivers seat.

"Do you know how to drive?" Kakashi asked skeptically.  
"Not a bloody clue really." Orochimaru answered honestly, he turned the key as he had seen Saura do. He then looked at the gears and shifted them hopefully, no idea which one would help him start. He didn't know which of the three pedals meant go or stop. He certainly didn't know he had put the van in reverse and he mimicked the NW man he had resided with for a short duration. The car jerked and shuddered backwards. It made Kakashi jump out the way anxiously, but Orochimaru seemed rather satisfied.  
"Almost right." He said.  
"Yeah sure... If you want to reverse all the way home." Kakashi muttered moving away from the unpredictable machine. Orochimaru looked in the side view mirror, unamused eyes reflecting at the copy ninja. Kakashi ducked his head in apology and allowed the prodigy to continue. The car choked out and the Sannin didn't know he was required to remove the key to start over. He wrestled for a few painful minutes before he opted to restart the car properly. It roared to life and the Sannin carried on fidgeting until finally he rolled it forwards. Once he got the hang of going forwards slowly on the first gear he tried he played with the other gears.

Eventually his technical mind had made short work of the van. It would often die or cut out, and there were the odd occasions he would stagger with the functions and clutch but it moved forwards more than it stayed immobile. Kakashi got bored of standing around doing nothing and requested to be shown how it worked. The Sannin enjoyed sharing information and gave a slightly inaccurate account of how a car worked, it was the best to his knowledge however and it was sufficient enough. Kakashi got the hang of the van better than the Sannin, much to his slight bitter disappointment. Orochimaru got over it when they finally got the van straight on the road. After a mile of driving the Sannin praised the copy ninjas ability to work the mechanical beast. To a passerby he would seem fully competent in what he did.

That was if road rules were not taken into account. The lines on the road meant nothing to the ninja, they stopped at red traffic lights only because they had seen others do it, and they moved when it went green because other cars hooted or overtook them when they didn't. It worked out fine for an hour but they eventually realized they had no destination. They also didn't know what to think when a red light flashed indicating they needed to fill their tank.  
They didn't know what the sign meant and ignored it until they couldn't anymore. They found themselves in a small city outside their broken down car. They decided to abandon their new find begrudgingly and instead walked down the street the copy ninja protectively looping one arm around the black haired Sannin as he lead him around.

Orochimaru's golden eyes snapped up road names and memorized them easily. It made getting lost harder as the ninjas skill helped them to recognize places. It was eventually nightfall but neither ninja was tired. They were finally beside each other without chains, bars or angry team mates in their way. It was pleasant and the streetlights lit their path. They got to a park and stumbled onto the grass hidden behind the trees. They sat down to merely sort out a plan. They ended up laying beside one another gazing up at the man made sky. They both decided to pretend it was the real one however, as the concept better fit their evening. Some of the serpents long hair cascaded down onto his partner and Kakashi gently played with it.

It wasn't the warmest evening, but with the copy ninja beside him it was not the coldest either. Orochimaru nestled into the others chest and watched the movement of leaves and passing insects, which admittedly were not at all different from the ones they saw in their home town. It made it easier to pretend they were not miles away. The cold was something they were both used to but the Sannin still lightly shuddered in discomfort. He wished they were back in their own bed, beneath the warm sheets swarmed by wagging tails. It reminded the Sannin of something.  
"We must find Tsukiko." Orochimaru said looking up at the other, Kakashi looked down at him and pecked his head.  
"As soon as we have chakara we can track him." Kakashi said.  
"What if he was taken to a shelter." Orochimaru said, "the streets of these cities are dangerous, apparently animals do not walk freely."  
"If he entered the streets at all." Kakashi said, "after all he fled into the woods. For all we know he went back to motel looking for us. Dogs have a way of finding their way home. Especially street dogs."  
"We found him near the motel to begin with." Orochimaru said, "perhaps he went back there."  
As it turned out, they were not far from the town they had begun in. It felt like no matter where they were dragged off too, the city had them bound.

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"What is this?" Saura snapped as he slammed his phone down onto Satoru's desk. The imperial looked up with a hint of annoyance but he answered in a collected manner.  
"I didn't let you in here." He said ignoring the video flashing on the other NW's phone. Saura wasn't letting it go, he was rather set on getting an answer. Satoru sighed realizing the other was not going to back away from his purpose of arriving. He looked down at the video and his eyes instantly narrowed.  
"How did you get that?" Satoru demanded, he got to his feet his cape angrily swishing behind him, Saura didn't budge.  
"You run these ninja into the ground, you do tests on them- that's not the only video I found-" Saura was interrupted by the larger mans dominating voice.  
"How did you find them?" He asked, his tone leading to the fact that it was the final time he would ask.  
"I hacked the system." Saura said, "I have most passes into this place. But I don't think that's the problem here."  
"That's confidential. You are barely related to me or my father and furthermore you are nothing but a man living in a big house." Satoru said harshly, "if you find out too much we may have to get rid of you."

"Because I'm sure you have much more to hide." Saura snapped, "and you're no better than anyone, your cape and title is meaningless to me. I thought you were changing the way ninja saw us, you're giving them more reason to hate us. We aren't bridging the gap we are making it wider. You're turning them into weapons."  
"We are turning them into allies." Satoru snapped, "horses run, wolves hunt and ninja fight. We are letting them do what they are designed to do. We just wish to control it."  
"Who are we to control them? They are not guns they are intellectual creatures." Saura responded.  
"They are intelligent, but not on our level." Satoru said, "besides, we are keeping our own safe not the entire planet. You're either one of them or you're one of us."  
"Then you admit it. We aren't trying to merge peacefully with the ninja. We want to slot them in like our drones, machines to be used, not allies- do not call them that. It's false statements, all of what our leaders say nowadays are false claims." Saura said, "at least tell us the truth. Tell them the truth. Do not lock them in white rooms and force them to fight tiresomely."  
"Don't be dramatic, we know their limits and we keep within those bounds. They are fed and healed, they are treated with as much respect as they could ask for-" it was the imperials turn to be interrupted.  
"Bullshit." Saura said he flicked his phone to another video.

This time it showed a more personal video than before, it showed the Sannin, showed him stuck in a glass tank as the NW soldiers froze the room. It showed his struggle but Satoru did not watch past the first few seconds, he looked back at Saura, he knew the rest of the video and he didn't have the time to rewatch past events.  
"What of it? He was defiant, we took action." Satoru answered, he ran his fingers through his hair, "I don't know what you expect me to say, or what you expect to accomplish bringing in hacked videos of the military. Quite honestly you're lucky I'm not putting you behind bars for this."  
"I shouldn't have called you." Saura muttered, "he deserved his chakara, deserved his freedom."  
"You sound bitter Saura." The Imperial said he walked to the door and opened it gesturing for him to leave, "you miss him. Sorry I took away that little thing you occupied your spare time with, and I know you have so much spare time- too much even."  
"Fuck you." Saura said taking his phone as he walked to the door to leave, Satoru chuckled and then replied in a belittling manner.  
"Pleasant seeing you, do stop by again won't you." He said, and then when the other passed he added, "oh and be so kind as to delete those videos. If someone else sees them they'll get the punishment you barely escaped from today."

Saura did not reply, he passed Nya who watched him with a smug smile. Since he could see the satisfaction in her face, and since he knew full well she was the darker one of the duo he looked back at her.  
"It's a nice look for you." He said, she watched him questioningly, but she knew he referred to her charred face and upper body, "it's always nice when someone reflects who they are on the outside."  
Her eyes narrowed but her smile did not change, in fact if anything she seemed to be comfortable in her new flesh.  
"Thank you." She said, "and don't worry, when we catch him we'll give him your kind regards."  
They watched one another for a moment longer, almost a small stand off, then Saura left, the last remainder of him being the roar of his car. She watched the vehicle slip out the gate at an angry speed and she shook her head with a small smile. War was not for the faint hearted. War held no place for love.

Authors note: sorry for the long gap... I had no time to go online at all. Hope you enjoyed the update, the next few will hopefully be a lot quicker and more on time. Thank you to those who Favourite the sorry and me as an author. Any support means a lot.  
A giant thank you to Vampiredoll666 and the lovely reviews that always keep my inspired!


	14. Only if we make it

_"The pain started years ago, but I'd lived with it for so long at that point that I'd accepted it as an inevitable part of me."_

The two ninja hadn't realized they'd fallen asleep, they awoke unsettled at the same time to scan their environment. It was still night, or perhaps very early morning, the sun was not up yet and they couldn't identify why they were disturbed from the long awaited for peaceful sleep. Neither ninja was naive enough to believe it was nothing, they got to their feet wearily. They proceeded out the park to walk in the city, there was a slight vibration beneath them and they paused to better identify it. Orochimaru looked up at the copy ninja to assess whether he had felt it too. Kakashi was the first to take initiative and grasped the others hand lightly to lead him without words where he wished to go. The Sannin found the vibration was getting stronger beneath them now and he watched the other in attempts to figure out why he wished to close the distance on the foreign disturbance.

They were in the city the lamp posts now making creaking noises as they shifted in their allocated spots. There was a sudden bang and both ninja stumbled as the earth shook, panicked screams were next heard until a sickening siren screeched down the streets a red light now flashing around the darkness in warning. There were several more bangs until it appeared as if the sky was falling. Helicopters buzzed by the falling pieces of the dome but they were soon blasted from the air and sent hurtling in a fiery mess to the city below. Kakashi yanked the smaller ninja aside to avoid the fallen metal hitting them. When the flying machines hit the floor they exploded in a red blur and destroyed the surrounding area. People were already limp on the street floor and police were now stationed everywhere. The two ninja bolted down the road to avoid being the next target of the explosion.

"Is someone attacking the dome?" Orochimaru asked wondering if perhaps the copy ninja was more clued up. Kakashi had no idea but he assumed it could perhaps be their allies. A white bird entered the dome through the broken home and soon hundreds of others followed it. They were unmistakable.

"It's Deidara." Orochimaru said before the other had a chance to answer. Kakashi wondered where he had found so many allies, there were hundreds of birds and many ninja leapt off their backs to land in the city. They departed, but they were in a city just outside the small one the two ninja resided in.

"We need to get to the other city." Kakashi's aid quickly, "we can escape with them but they're heading the opposite way to us."

"It's a war zone forwards." Orochimaru said worriedly, "without jutsu dodging the falling planes and explosions will be difficult."

"It may be our last chance to escape." Kakashi said, he headed towards the birds and the Sannin trotted after him. They avoided the flames which burnt the city streets and they moved over the broken buildings which had been brought down in the chaos. Orochimaru glanced at a mans corpse stuck between a blasted cars slightly hollow frame work. His eyes were lifeless but his face held the expression of fear. He quickly looked back up at the town ahead and they picked up their pace. The birds moved quicker in the air than the two chakara-less ninja could on their feet. They hurried as best they could but it was seemingly in vein as the distance got further instead of closer. They were eventually forced to stop when police swarmed the streets and blocked the way. They would never avoid their eyes and were unsure if the armed men would gun them down simply for being ninja.

"We need these collars off." Orochimaru said, "we can't hope to catch up in our current state."

"Any ideas?" Kakashi said placing a hand on his collar to establish it wouldn't simply fall off.

"Perhaps it can be over ridden? Maybe we can make the effects of the collar no longer apply." Orochimaru said, "the same way we overrode the dome."

"We would need another device." Kakashi said.

"The military is sure to answer this attack. They will try stop the ninjas chakara." Orochimaru stated, "if we get to the enforcements perhaps we can steal another device off them?"

"It's worth a shot- but we still need to bypass front line security." Kakashi said glancing at the cops who were still gathered and readied.

"Going around will waste all our time." Orochimaru admitted, "we need them to move, we could set off an explosion nearby them. They may scatter."

"Their cars are flammable." Kakashi agreed, "there is enough fire we just need one of their cars to catch light."

Orochimaru didn't need much more persuading, for a moment Kakashi felt slightly bad for killing the NW men who had only come to protect their city. The Sannin didn't seem to have any of those fears to hold him back so he trotted over to a piece of fallen building, he located a chipped piece of wood from a window pain and picked it up. Kakashi watched as he made sure he was not going to be seen by any fleeing NW citizens. Orochimaru took the wood and brought it to the fire which was blazing dangerously, he let the frame catch alight and darted to the cops cars. The copy ninja saw the others golden eyes fly up to him questioningly. Realising what his partner wanted the Jonin made off to cause a distraction in the distance. He didn't want to be seen either, but he knew he needed to make the men look away from the van the Sannin was standing near. Deciding that explosions were what they were clearly doing as of late the white haired shinobi grabbed hold of another piece of fallen wood and let it catch on fire before throwing the flame under a car a few meters from the cops.

Nothing happened but the ninja knew better than to stick around and wait, he darted away from the explosion that was soon to come and he narrowly missed being caught in its long reaching flaming arms. The bang had all the cops jumping and as expected they turned to face the noise their eyes obviously panicked at the thought of ninja being too close. Kakashi got back to his original hiding place to find the Sannin arriving at the same time.

"Did you do it?" Kakashi asked, another bang shattered the skies and the Sannin grinned in response. It was far closer to the cops than they had planned for and two men were sent flailing into the dirt. The rest scattered and some of the men barked orders for the men to stay in line. Their formation was now in ruin and the barricade they had once created was now nothing more than a few scattered police while others took shelter further form any explosive vehicles. The ninja took their cue to hide behind police cars which they knew were not going to unexpectedly blow up. After all the others had only done so because of the two hidden shinobi.

They were past the block but found that they were now hiding behind the only car left. Their next step would be out in the open all over again. They hesitated but knew it wouldn't be long until the police returned to their stations once the fear had settled.

"If we run they could open fire." Kakashi pointed out.

"If we stay they'll return and put us down anyway." Orochimaru added, "But I don't see many options. We could try run for the coverage of the buildings ahead, I don't think they will risk shooting their own citizens."

"Then we run I guess." Kakashi agreed, they didn't want to destroy their chances by being hasty, so they waited until they could hear the men behind them trying to figure out their next move. The NW men seemed easily startled, vastly unequipped for warfare unlike the fight driven ninja. The yelling, explosions and unavoidable anticipation was all normal to the shinobi, and to two elite ninja it was almost thrilling. They missed the fight, they missed the fight being fair. Orochimaru could feel his chakara begging to be released, its pleads almost hissed out as if they were animate, as if they were capable of feeling and talking. The collar held the potent chakara prisoner however, but for how long was unknown. They darted out their final hiding place and headed for the buildings, they heard the police yell for them to stop and they heard gunshots which only managed to penetrate the floor they ran on.

They safely made it across and the citizens screamed not because of the two ninja but because of the police opening fire. The cops did not stop, they did not even care that they had missed both ninja and accidently injured two people nearby. The one man was grounded, but then clutching his arm he got up and moved away in an almost dazed panic. The next victim to fall was a woman and she did not get up as blood leaked onto the street. Kakashi looked back from their now safe guarded watch point, sheltered in an ally street.

"They are killing their own." Kakashi said morbidly.

"They are scared, they'll shoot anything that moves I'm afraid." Orochimaru said back, he wasn't as saddened by the show, he knew how war went and he had hardened himself to the tragedies. A teenage boy ran across the street to attempt to get to the woman who had fallen, it didn't appear as if he knew her but he tried in vain to drag her out the street perhaps to take her to a hospital. Kakashi looked from the boy to the police, it was obvious they would shoot him by accident as well if he did not move. Orochimaru watched in surprise as Kakashi darted form their coverage.

"Don't!" He hissed but the Jonin was already by the boys side, he could see in an instant the woman was dead so he helped the boy back to safety.

The teen looked panicked but instantly noticed that the man was a ninja given his eye and marking. He didn't seem distressed with that fact and Kakashi checked him over for injury with a glance, seeing only a small trickle of blood on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked, the teen nodded clearly still in too much shock to be able to conjure words. Kakashi looked across the street into the alleyway opposite him where he should have seen the Sannin. Orochimaru was no longer in the street corner anymore however. The boy couldn't stop looking at the red Sharingan and Kakashi found it hard to focus on both the teen and his disappearing lover.

"Thanks." The teen said as if he had just remembered his manners, too in shock still to believe the situation he was in. He didn't know how he was going to get home and he hardly trusted the white haired masked ninja. The boy yelped and moved around to hide behind the copy ninja when someone darted into the alleyway.

"What was that?! You could have been killed!" Orochimaru hissed to the copy ninja lightly swatting his arm. Kakashi ducked his head in apology.

"Sorry… I didn't want him getting shot." He said hoping it would be good enough, the narrowed eyes staring at him softened.

"Try thinking about yourself for once will you." Orochimaru muttered he looked at the teen, "Well? Don't you want to go home or something?"

The teen seemed nervous when the serpent looked at him despite being larger in build to the slim formed snake summoner.

"What are you?" He asked in more curiosity than shock or horror, The Sannin looked over slightly disgruntled, he was used to the rude questions by now and Kakashi knew the serpents reply was far nicer than it was in his head.

"Human." Orochimaru replied.

"Are those real?" He asked looking between the two males eyes.

"Yes, now back on the subject- are you going home or not?" Orochimaru hissed, Kakashi took over as the teen seemed unnerved at the males snakelike voice.

"Where is your home? Is it far from here?" Kakashi asked.

"No-o…" He stammered still on edge by the Sannin.

"Then we can take you on our way to the exit." Kakashi concluded.

"That is if it is on our way." Orochimaru rectified.

"Regardless." Kakashi answered, "He will get shot if we don't help him."

"So his lack of sense is going to be at our expense." Orochimaru asked, he could see the disappointment in the copy ninjas eyes and he settled himself to make up for his obvious lack of care. He gestured for the boy to lead and he didn't waste time obeying the unnaturally marked shinobi.

The streets back proved to be difficult, and the Sannin couldn't pretend he did not notice the boy constantly watching him as the serpent moved. He tried not to take offense at the obviousness of the others blatant lack of acceptance as he continued walking. There were many gunshots, the snake summoner didn't know what the copy ninja was thinking offering the NW citizen a friendly guide home. He should have been grateful enough the white haired Shinobi moved him out of shooting range. They needed to get to the hole and escape, they did not need more distractions.  
"I'm sure we will make it in time." Kakashi said, almost as if he could read his lovers thoughts. The snake glanced at him with slitted eyes, ones that screamed they were not convinced and quite honestly rather pissed off. The effeminate ninja swished past his lover to take the lead, the boys stares finally agitating him enough to force him further along the path. They cut through many streets and found many shot down ninja corpses as they did so. Some limp bodies belonged to citizens, but they were far fewer than the shinobi. Orochimaru crossed his arms over his chest and stepped over a body elegantly his hair swaying behind him playfully. He heard the sound of his partner and the saved NW teen talking. He didn't care for their conversation and tried his best not to actually listen.

He let his mind wander off, allowing the sound of bullets to fade into the background. He felt someone tug on his hair and he flicked himself away after flinching. He shot angry eyes at the teen who had tugged his hair, something he expected from a juvenile.  
"I was just checking if it was real- sorry." He said, the serpent did not know how to respond.  
"Real?" He snapped.  
"It's really long, especially for a guy... You are a guy right?" He asked, he was less unsure of the Sannin now it appeared. Orochimaru let his irritated eyes fall away from the teen to look back up at the road.  
"I am thanks for noticing." He replied sarcastically as he guided his tugged on hair back to place. Kakashi had bridged the distance quickly to move the teen away, he flashed apologetic eyes at the smaller ninja. Orochimaru didn't take notice, it wasn't from the copy ninja he wanted an apology from.  
"Do people confuse you often? It's the hair- nah, it's everything." He said as he walked beside Kakashi who did his best to hush him. Orochimaru was glad to see an opening from the alley which led back on to the street. He gestured to it.  
"You should know your way home from here correct? We don't need to follow you further." Orochimaru said, he passed a warning stare at the Jonin, daring him to offer more unnecessary help.  
"Aren't the cops out there?" The teen asked anxiously.  
"Your cops." Orochimaru stated, "they should help you shouldn't they? The streets aren't as panicked and blinded here."

It was evident the citizen was not convinced and the prospect was disgusting to Kakashi. The police were the equivalent to the Jonin back in the village. No young ninja feared their own Jonin, they rushed to them, took relief in knowing they were safe when they were found by their own homelands warriors. This was not the case for the NW citizens it seemed, as they did not trust the men who swore to protect them. They hid from them in a crises. It was troubling, at least it was too the copy ninja. Orochimaru did not think it too strange. He was considered a freak, a monster before he had done anything. He never found comfort in the Jonin, he did not see why the teen should take comfort in his form of Jonin either. He didn't care about the badge one wore, he didn't trust and that was that.  
"How far are we for your home?" Kakashi asked.  
"Ten minutes on the street. I can't take any more side streets to get home." He said.  
"We can't go out there, they'll kill us we are ninja." Orochimaru said.  
"We can't leave him." Kakashi argued.

"We can actually." Orochimaru hissed, he met his partners slightly hurt eyes. He knew the copy ninja deeply cared about anyone weak, anyone who was considered the underdog. He knew he wished for the Sannin to share his views. The serpent ran his fingers through his hair and took a step back to allow Kakashi to take the lead. It was against his nature to take a risk for someone he didn't care about nor need later on. But for the Jonin he would lay his armour down. The others eyes lit up, alerting the Sannin to the fact that he was evidently greatly relieved and satisfied. They snuck into the open road, it was risky and the snake summoner felt his stomach knot in anticipation. Kakashi took the lead, the boy second and the Sannin keeping watch from the back. Kakashi looked for their next place to advance too, the snake summoner trotted up behind the boy and yanked him down.  
"Get down." He reprimanded, the boy nodded apologetically. It would surely be twice as risky now with the inexperienced NW citizen followed close behind.

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"How are we fending?" The Cloud Jonin asked as he appeared beside Asuma who stood on top of one of the giant clay birds. The Leaf ninja looked over the field worriedly.  
"Not well. We have gotten a lot of ninja out but we planned on seizing at least a few more cities. The military hasn't let us get past one." Asuma said, he watched as ninja were slaughtered in their masses. When the police arrived the ninja had trumped them with little effort, but when Satorus men appeared the tables took a drastic turn. Unforgivably out of the ninjas favour, they watched as they were taken down in their groups.  
"Have ninja escaped?" The Cloud ninja asked sullenly.  
"Yes, Deidara kept his word. He has been doing great with his team in escorting ninja out. If we leave in the next half an hour we will have gained more ninja than we lost. However we must evacuate immediately on my command or it will be the opposite, and we will have ruined our own progress." Asuma replied, the other ninja nodded and departed to spread the message, to ensure the shinobi would evacuate on time and ensure the mission was not a failure. The clay bird kept itself in the air never moving from the spot the self deemed leader stood on. Another came soaring past as it detonated into a building bringing the mass of concrete to the ground. Screams were heard from the people below both ninja and NW alike.

It was the bloodiest thing Asuma had ever seen, many bodies were on the floors and the buildings only made the damage appear that much worse. Another bird glided over but this time it did not aim to cause more havoc but stopped just short of the Jonins own clay masterpiece. Asuma looked behind him to meet eyes with the man responsible for creating the birds. Deidara had his arms crossed over his chest.  
"You've done well." Asuma, "has word reached you about our timing for leaving?"  
"Yes." Deidara said, "but I'm not coming back with you. I'll escort everyone out, then I'm coming back in to find Orochimaru and Kakashi."  
"That sounds noble Deidara, but it's foolish." Asuma warned, "if it were simple I would help you, but if you think it over you will realize it is only going to serve a futile effort. They will find ways to prevent your bombs and birds from affecting their borders. You will be trapped in here with them and you will be gone from our military. If you want to save them you'd wait until the time was right."  
"They could die in the time I wait." Deidara said.  
"They could already be dead." Asuma replied, "we cannot act on what ifs in war. That's a lesson my father taught me. If you wish to save someone do it right, don't do it on impulse. That can serve to make a situation worse. You need to do it the safest way possible, to ensure the survival of everyone."

"We should move out now." A familiar voice called, Shikamaru stood on one of the highest buildings near to their birds, several other ninja bounced up the building and landed beside him until another atop a bird came to give them a lift. Asuma nodded, he trusted the Nara's judgement, they had made much progress.  
"Call everyone in. Do what you want Deidara, but first help our men out." Asuma said, the blond nodded and his bird spun backwards to hurtle around for the shinobi. The clay creations stopped obeying the person on top of them and acted out their masters will. The ninja were being escorted out in masses while Jonin with chakara distracted the military. They did not fear the military chasing them out, there was far too much damage to deal with inside their borders that trying to track the ninja down in the forests would be a fools game.

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They appeared by the boys apparent house and the Sannin showed his hastiness to leave with his agitated movements. Kakashi wanted to ensure the teens house was safe, the bombs flying around could easily had damaged the structure making it a hazard. They entered it and Orochimaru rushed in after, deciding it would make matters speed along. It was well known that the serpent had a fondness of his jutsu and power, it was after all his end term goal mastering every technique. It did not surprise the Konoha Jonin that his partner was desperate to regain their lost power, it wasn't however the copy ninjas first priority. He had always put others above him, and he wouldn't stop just because the said person belonged to an enemies society. The teen had no say on where he stood, and so he was in fact innocent. Kakashi would not turn his back on anyone innocent. He hated the concept of the weak dying because the strong waged wars they could not do alone. He hated that some were considered to be nothing more than collateral damage or worse yet sacrifices. He hated that word. Sacrifice. It was a cruel word, one he hated to even think of.

"I think it's safe." Kakashi said as a bomb sounded in the distance, the teen looked at him apologetically, they were standing on the highest floor of the second story house and he had shifted his eyes away from the window.  
"They are gone." He stammered, it wasn't the copy ninja who spun around first. It wasn't in his nature but the Sannin cussed as he saw the birds disappearing through the opening in the dome, the military closing in on the hole to ensure they stayed outside.  
"That's just great." Orochimaru snapped, he turned to face his partner, the teen slunk away from his angered eyes.  
"There will be another way." Kakashi tried to reassure him, it was a futile effort.  
"You don't know that Kakashi." He hissed, "we wasted our time saving some kid. Now we are as good as stuck here with the military tightening their defenses every strike ninja take at them. This could well be our last chance of seeing the outside world and we've gone and saved an enemy. Fucking brilliant."  
"Easy." Kakashi warned sensing the teens discomfort at being labelled an enemy.  
"It's so much easier playing the good guy isn't it my love." Orochimaru hissed dryly, "saving the world, getting them to see you as a hero. Letting people who try and look out for themselves appear to be monsters. Is that how you live your life? Trying to appease everyone else so that you die a great man. Acting selfless to appear a hero which ironically in turn means you are the most selfish person regardless."  
"I don't do it for my image, I do it because it is right." Kakashi snapped back.

"Is that so?" Orochimaru replied, "well my last few days here have been rather rough, so excuse me for being a little bit pissed that you chose to spare some kid on the streets life, which in a typical twist of fate means I must be stuck here again. To endure hell knows what for the next few months before low and behold we get given another opportunity you may very well squander again."  
"Next time you can run off on your own then. If I'm such a burden when I try to do what ninja were trained to do." Kakashi snapped again, "we weren't trained for self gain, we were trained to save lives."  
"That sounds pretty but it's all lies our teachers spin." Orochimaru said, "saving people is good and well but not if you are in no position to do so. Running on an emotional reasoning sounds better, it sounds kinder and makes everyone rest easy. Running on logic would advance us, but it makes us appear to be monsters. The man who spares the wolf despite its threat may seem like a merciful man, but the sheep it moves off to devour may see that story differently. It's all a cycle. One man does something good to better his reputation and the man who is simply trying to live is cast aside as selfish."  
"That's your view on the world. But as always, everyone is out to get you. You personally. No one is perfect Orochimaru. Not me and certainly not you." Kakashi said finally. The Sannin averted his lurid eyes.  
"That's the difference between us." Orochimaru said, but he didn't feel he was in any mood to elaborate, the copy ninja on the other hand was in no mood to allow evasive statements.

"What is?" He snapped.  
"Leave it." Orochimaru replied gazing out the window to distract himself.  
"Don't say things and leave them to become bigger problems than they should be. What did you mean by that?" Kakashi said again, he placed himself in between the window and the Sannin to regain his eyes. Orochimaru hissed and moved away but the copy ninja didn't allow him to put distance between them, "answer me-"  
"Fine. Why is it when you are not perfect you can say you are only human, yet when I am imperfect there is always someone from the crowd to cast me out as a monster." He said, his eyes betrayed him revealing his genuine hurt, "and don't say it's because of what I did. I didn't have to draw blood for your people to assume the worst of me. So yes, I see people in a negative light, I see them as cruel, as threats. But I didn't just decide to have a morbid view of everyone, it was something I learnt through experience. Through trying to do good but getting kicked for it regardless. I'm sorry for losing the value of others when they never gave me any value to begin with. If you see them as good then you're lucky, you obviously had a different experience on this world than I have."  
They hadn't noticed the boy had left the room, he returned and it was only then that they noticed he had been absent. He seemed less on edge by the Sannin and the first words that left his mouth was an apology.

"Sorry." He said with less fear, "for assuming you were dangerous... like everyone else apparently."  
The serpent did not know how to respond, it was the first time anyone else had really received his point, and he certainly hadn't expected someone, least of all an enemy, to apologize for their judgement. Kakashi shook his head and ran a hand through his hair as he turned away. He felt a mixture of guilt and anger, but the guilt only made him feel more angry at the situation. Angry with the way he handled matters, how the snake handled matters and how they were both now finally out of ways to handle anything at all.  
"It's fine, you were probably closer to the truth than I'd like to believe anyway." Orochimaru muttered, the copy ninja looked at him but the Sannin did not meet his eyes, instead he moved around them both and went down the stairs. He was finally tired of trying, it had been easier when the world called him a monster and he went along with it. It was becoming an increasingly impossible challenge, doing good and still receiving the same treatment. Still not getting acceptance. At least if he accepted his lot in life he could go along with their accusations, as he had done in the past. They called him a monster and so he became one. That was simpler, that was perhaps his fate, and just maybe he had been wrong, just maybe you could not choose your fate at all. The boy looked over at Kakashi, unsure of what he was going to do. It was obvious neither ninja had anywhere to go now that they had missed their gap.

He finally noticed the collar around his neck and he tried his best to hide his curiosity until finally he had to ask.  
"Were you just freed from a pit fight?" He asked, he was aware of ninja fights. However most ninja were still without chakara once the neck pieces were off. The boy was not aware that the Sannin and copy ninja would in fact regain theirs as the dome did not work against them any more.  
"Hm? Oh yeah, we escaped shortly before we entered the city actually." Kakashi said, the teen nodded, he then sat down on his bed. There was scream down stairs and then yelling. The scream belonged to a woman, the yelling from a man. The boy rushed to the stairs and yelled out for his parents to calm down, it was then that Kakashi realized his lover may have not been the guest they'd expected to come home too, especially since they were probably worried about their son after the explosions and military interference. Kakashi raced down the stairs next to see a man slightly larger than he was, although greatly less in shape, pinning the serpent to the kitchen wall. Orochimaru was trying his best to wriggle free as the father passed questioning eyes at the teen and copy ninja. The mother stood far from everyone until she grabbed her sons arm and pulled him into the lounge where she hoped they would be safe.

Kakashi rushed the man and tried to pull him off his partner without upsetting and panicking him too much. He was physically much stronger due to being fit, the other simply an ordinary man. Eventually the teen came back out with his mother who issued her husband let him be. Orochimaru moved away as soon as he received a tiny gap and brought his hand to his head where a small trickle of blood now ran down. The copy ninja tried to check on his injury but he was denied such right as the serpent moved away. A clear indication that situations like these did not mean he would be forgiven due to distraction.  
"I don't want ninja in my house." The man snapped, he was more frightened than rude.  
"If the military catches them here we could be locked up." The mother said with a bit more calm in her voice, she glanced between the two.  
"They'll be killed if we send them out on the street." The teen tried reasoning, there was a small laughing sound from inside, the voice belonging to someone young, although the gender of the toddler was unknown. The mother yelled for the child to remain in the lounge where it was safe, naturally the younger member of the family had no perception of danger and entered curiously. It was a girl both ninja analyzed, and out of respect, for the mothers fears they both crossed the kitchen to put space between them and the weakest person, to allow the parents to be physical walls between them.

"Fine. Just until the military is off the streets, as soon as it's safe they are gone." The mother said, she then looked at her husband, "and he has a gun. So just try anything ninja."  
"We don't need your hospitality but thank you for the gesture." Orochimaru said, he was hushed by the copy ninja who looked over at him.  
"We will just be shot upon sight out there. We can leave tomorrow if they are willing for us to stay the night." Kakashi said, the Sannin did not seem impressed. He shook his head but remained silent in an evident annoyance. He seemed to uncaring to bother fight back however, "we would definitely appreciate the refuge until things settle."  
"We have two couches, you can stay there." The man said watching them carefully, and to make a point he moved to a safe and took out a gun from its dark area. Kakashi didn't much care about the gun, to be honest he had never really seen many fall victim to its evil. The serpent noticeably shied away from it, he was not going to pretend the concept of the something so quick consuming a life did not unnerve him. Death had always been something he feared, the gun seemed like a machine waiting to take life, waiting to dull the livings eyes. The man noticed the serpents evident fear, Kakashi did as well.  
"I'm not going to use this unless you try something." The man said, the words both meant to alert the ninja to their place as well as relieve some of the smaller ninjas fears.

"We understand perfectly, thank you." Kakashi said respectfully, knowing very well that they were at the families mercy. Both due to their ability to call the cops and due to the fact that they owned a gun and knew how to use one. Something both ninja wanted to know for safeties sake but lacked the ability to obtain one and lacked the ability to get someone to teach them. They supposed if they got their jutsu back it would be no problem. The family went upstairs, making it clear the ninja were not allowed to set foot on the upper floor. They didn't mind the arrangement and kept to the lounge, where the family locked the doors between the main house and living area to ensure the ninja could not get upstairs.  
Kakashi wasn't sure if it was because the Sannin was mad at him or if it was because of practical reasons but the serpent slept on his own couch, the copy ninja alone on the second one. Neither one of them managed to fall asleep easily, the serpent eventually deciding he wasn't going to bother try. He sat on the windowsill looking at the street, looking at the moonless dark sky thinking about things the copy ninja could only try and guess. Orochimaru ran his fingers through his hair as he unknotted any strands that had become tangled. It was the most minor issue present, but Kakashi swore the main thing keeping him awake was the fact that he was denied the ability to check on the small gash his lover had just received. It wasn't important, but his human mind struggled to put it to rest, he wasn't satisfied until he knew for himself that his partner was fine. Orochimaru wouldn't let him check him over however.

Both ninja were rather uncomfortable with dry blood staining their tops due to the previous arrangement. Other ninja, the blood from men they may have fought along side if not for the cruel conditions now smearing their shirts and pants, leaving a haunting reminder of what their fate could well have been. The copy ninja could see a small shiver run up his lovers back, the cold night air somehow passing through the thin window glass and wooden frame. He didn't get up to wrap his arms around him as he wanted to, he gave the other his needed space. He tried to process the words that had been hissed at him earlier. Then the words he had given the teen when he apologized. Perhaps he should have held his tongue, although most wouldn't say it true the Sannin was very much affected by his emotions. He may very well mask his feelings well, but he was most certainly still affected by them. He was in a constant battle with the world and even his own mind. Never resting for a moment to just be a person, a human with simple emotions and thoughts, it always had to be bigger than that, have more meaning. Perhaps him being forced to be wiser than his years all his life had led him down the path of seeking out the worlds answers. Perhaps Konoha had created a monster- or more, perhaps Konoha had created a man who believed he was.

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Hidan. Sat with his bade in the earth below him, he sat with one leg propped up on his other as he listened to his old work partner losing his temper, yelling at their leaders. Deidara had taken his bird back towards the entrance they had just made but his bird was shot down, not by the military but by ninja of his own army. Asuma had told the Cloud Jonin not to but they had over ridden the mans orders due to higher up Cloud leaders. They had ruined the blond ninjas last attempt to get in to the city and now the hole was completely closed in by military forces. It would be out right suicide going near the entrance and the ex-Akatsuki member was hardly holding it together with the ordeal. Asuma tried to calm him down as best he could, he was equally as annoyed with the cloud leaders, it had been the blonds choice. They had no right to deny him. They claimed they did so due to the fact that they would need his abilities later on in the war. Deidara made it clear that as it stood he wasn't helping them if his life depended on it. Hidan watched out the corner of his eye, he got to his feet and moved closer when the debate got more heated. The Jonin trying to talk Deidara down moved forwards coming a few inches too close to the blond.

Hidan wasn't a fan of getting involved, but he was satisfied with the fight he had been in, he had done many rituals with the blood gained from enemies. However he was in no mood to watch another man pick on someone he had once worked with. He had no cares about the cloud Jonin, but he felt he owed some small part of him to Deidara. He intercepted the man and shoved him backwards, the Jonin was unnerved knowing full well how mad Hidan truly was, and also, how immortal he was.  
"Fuck off will ya." He muttered to the man, and the Jonin did just that leaving Hidan, Deidara and Asuma alone. The immortal turned to the blond, he could see the anger in his blue eyes, he could almost feel it resonating off him. Facing the man he didn't know what he was exactly supposed to do or say, he was fine in the heat of battle. But emotions, even the angrier ones, was a field he was no master in. Thankfully Asuma stepped in to fill the silence.  
"They were wrong to do that, I'm sorry I couldn't stop them." Asuma said, his eyes were serious, "but leaving the army is a sure way to die. And besides that your next shot at getting in to the dome will be through the army. Instead of running off you may as well stay until you get another opportunity to get inside."  
"I wasn't going to leave." Deidara admitted, he had nowhere else to go, "but you can tell that bastard Riakage that I'm not listening to a damn order. Next time you plan an attack I'll get you all in, but you can find your own way out. Trust is gone. I could have gotten more support from my own enemy."

"I doubt that sincerely," Asuma said softly, then spoke a bit louder, "let's head back, cool off on the way home and then I will mention this to the Riakage."  
"You'll be better off speaking to him. I'm in the mood to blow his entire island to dust." Deidara said his bird looked over at him with hollow eyes, as if it could listen in to the conversation, as if it was equally as angry as its creator. When the blond got on its back and took to the skies, the bird beat its wings furiously feeding off its masters energy. The ninja celebrated when they spoke to new faces, new ninja who were now free and almost in disbelief. They hadn't thought they would be saved on that night, on that cold rainy night where most started out rather morbid. Spirits were high at the success for the other ninja, it was the rogues walking up front who still had dark clouds covering their joys. Asuma strayed from the rogues, although he knew them more than the cloud Jonin he still avoided them, sticking to ninja who belonged, to nations. The rogues did not care, he could stick to what he knew instead of who he knew.

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The door clicked open and the copy ninja woke up, he noticed the serpent had not however. He must have been extremely tired to not have stirred as he usually would have. He was a much lighter sleeper than Kakashi was. The white haired shinobi got up to see it was the young girl entering, she must have snuck down the stairs in the early morning and unlocked the door. She was just over three he assumed and was clearly well aware of how to get in to rooms she wanted to be in. She startled when he got to his feet but she them recovered her nerve and came over to sit on the couch beside the ninja. She had bright eyes and the sun was not yet up, the traces of it was lightly falling in over the windowsill, but still it was a dimly lit room.  
"I think your parents would want you with them." Kakashi said softly as to not disturb the Sannin or other residents. She shook her head roughly, her bobbed hair cut swishing with her wildly.  
"I wanted to talk to real ninja." She said, her young voice not pronouncing the words entirely correctly.  
"Maybe when your parents are around you can." Kakashi tried again, he didn't want the adults to come and accuse the ninja of anything. They undoubtedly did not want their youngest by cold blooded killers, and all NW citizens thought ninja to be like animals. Unaware of how to act in society, only used to murder.

"It's fine." She said, trying to argue with the adult as best she could but not quite giving enough evidence to win the debate. She didn't keep her voice down and the Sannin stirred, he still did not wake however. The girl was now more curios when she noticed the other still asleep, he probably looked safer to approach when he was not awake. She swung her legs back and forth on the edge of the couch playfully, she then looked up her messy hair knotted from her nights sleep.  
"Why don't you ask your parents first?" Kakashi suggested, hoping they would be able to sort matters out instead. She shook her head again, indicating she wasn't going near her parents knowing full well they would stop her fun.  
"What's that?" She asked still rather loudly, the serpent was finally disturbed by the unfamiliar sound and his golden eyes opened moving instantly over to the girl as he sat up. She seemed happy her voice had done the job of getting the other to be aware of her presence.  
"What is what?" Kakashi asked calmly now knowing they were going to be out of their element trying to get the child back upstairs.  
"On your neck." She said again, but her eyes were still on the new ninja entering the conversation. Orochimaru was now sitting on the couch instead of laying down, he still appeared rather tired, as if the night previous had not been a very good one. The copy ninja didn't know if he should feel responsible for it or not so he tried his best to not think about those matters.

"It's a collar." Kakashi said trying his best not to give the young information on some thing violent and awful. She was satisfied, believing it to be true, believing it was merely a collar. She still had more questions though.  
"Is it so that you don't get lost?" She asked, the ninja weren't sure how to respond entirely, so she spoke again to clarify, "if a dog gets lost people call the number on the collar. Are you waiting for your owners?"  
It was clear that brainwashing started early. The child was in the mindset that ninja were animals, so it was no wonder why she had no hang ups about believing they had to wear collars.  
"Should you be down here without your parents?" Orochimaru asked, his voice notably soft and without traces of any usual mild hiss. He always tried his best to not scare the young, even though in all honesty, the young were never the ones fearful. They were always only curios, they did not know golden eyes were not normal, that there may be something wrong about the males slitted pupils.  
"They're fine, but is it?" She asked again.  
"Something like that yes." Orochimaru responded, she then looked at their clothes, the dark crimson still staining it.  
"What's on your clothes?" She asked, neither one was about to tell the three year old it was blood, that may well scare the life from her.  
"We have been outside for a while, so our clothes have gotten a bit dirty is all." Kakashi said, there was a frantic sound upstairs and the boots hitting the staircase echoed the passage until the father was in the room.

His eyes snapped to his child who sat happily by the ninja, he had his gun again and the sight of it made the Sannin increasingly uneasy. The girl was the first one to speak.  
"We need to find their owners." She stated confidently, "they're lost, but they have collars."  
The man noticed the collars for the first time, he seemed slightly in two minds about his reaction, probably aware of what the collars represented meaning he knew what they had been through to an extent. His gun was still looking far to trigger happy for the Sannin, the father beckoned for his daughter to come over. She did not but instead tried push her point again. She couldn't understand how anything would be more important than helping the lost. Her father tried to get her to come over but she did not, he seemed panicked, the fear for his child making him point his weapon at the ninja. The girl looked appalled at what her father was doing and defiantly told him to stop. He requested she come but she did not want to. Orochimaru shifted uneasily, it was obvious he was no longer able to ignore the threat of guns. He had no chakara and he wanted to avoid being shot ever again in his lifetime.

"I think you should go to your father." Kakashi said softly, the girl looked between them and then did as the ninja had said trotting over to her dad rather angrily.

"We want you out of our house in the next hour ninja." The father said. The man stormed up the stairs with his daughter, to replace him through the door the two ninja met eyes with the teen they had saved.

"Before you go, can I speak to you?"

"I think I'm done actually." Orochimaru said getting to his feet and making for the door, the teen did not try to physically stop him. Kakashi got to the Sannin's side and tried to pull him back.

"Just let him speak, he might have something important to say. We will leave straight after." The copy ninja tried. He was met with lurid eyes which screamed they were well past having enough.

"Don't touch me." He hissed, "I'm leaving now. I'm not waiting to be shot by someone who wasted my only opportunity to get out of this hell hole."

Although Kakashi could have physically made the smaller ninja stay he released his arm when the harsh words stung him. He watched his lover flick away from him and exit the house on to the dangerous streets which had settled since the devastation attack. The military had ended any dangers brought with it within the hour, clearly their technology handling such attacks well.

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It was not that the Sannin hated the teen personally, nor did he actually blame him solely for their failure at getting out. He had acted out because fear had made him, because he was once again reminded that although he had a chance to regain what meant the world to him, he was now stuck well without it. He was once again powerless, he had been powerless as a child, he refused to be weak again. He refused to not be able to defend himself. The gun had simply reminded him that they were back to square one, back to facing challenges he was not entirely sure he had the strength to endure. He was a Sannin, he should have faced them without complaint, but he was also human, and the constant battle was wearing him thin. There were too many threats, too much to lose. What if the military caught him, what if the military caught Kakashi. It was all horrible thoughts which he would only admit to himself scared him to death.

The NW citizens treated ninja poorly, and even that was an understatement. They were incredibly cruel and acted barbaric despite claiming it was the ninja who were so. The gun had shaken him so he tried his best to regain his usual calm, but it was not coming. He wondered if perhaps all the years of traumatic events were catching up to him. He wondered if he was having a panic attack, his chest was closing and his mind was blurring. He felt sick and as if he had no control over himself. Not for a moment did he worry about having a panic attack, as soon as he realized what it was he was angry at himself.

"Don't be pitiful." He hissed to himself, not much caring if people thought he was mad, they would judge him harshly no matter what, mad was not the worst thing someone had called him. He didn't allow his body to fall prey to a sign of weakness, or at least to what he deemed to be weak. He refused to let himself go through with the attack, he did the one thing a person shouldn't. He fought against it, only serving in making himself more shaken and sick. Still the stubborn snake refused to allow himself to be a victim to the natural reaction. His pride hissed at him, daring him to fall into such a weak mind frame. Weak only to the proud.

He certainly wasn't watching where he was going, he headed subconsciously somewhere he found familiar, a large park with the coverage of trees. He opened a gate to enter the large bordered off green area. When he looked around he was hoping the leaves and branches would remind him of the forests he always enjoyed walking through. It didn't and he found himself colliding with someone. He apologised then shook himself back in to focus, both the panic attack and mild concussion blinding him for a moment.

"Oro-chan." The voice was enough to evoke an entire new panic attack. Saura looked at the ninja with shock and relief, it confused the Sannin, they were as far as he remembered not on good terms. If he had jutsu he would have killed the man to beat him to the fight, but he did not so he backed up.

"Wait, I'm not calling Satoru!" Saura tried, but the name of the military only made him that much more frightened of the man. He backed up until he hit a tree where he glanced back to find more ground to place distance between them. Saura was quick to catch up.

Orochimaru forgot which way he came form in his panic and took off the opposite direction, to his dismay heading into more trees deeper into the park. It had to end somewhere and the ninja found himself reaching a fence higher than the one he had opened. His only way out was climbing it but with no jutsu it seemed rather futile. He heard footsteps behind and opted to rather try it. Worse case the man caught him, but if he were by some grace lucky he would manage to scale the vertical barrier. He felt Saura get a hold of his arm and pull his light form over to him. He hissed and put up a fight but the man over powered him, pulling him away from the fence until it was out of sight.

Authors note- A massive thank you to those who have left such lovely reviews. Those who do are awesome human beings! As always though, I must give a special thanks to the lovely Vampiredoll666 who has been nothing but an amazing support. Thanks for reading!


	15. I'll follow where you lead

_"_ _Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."_

Orochimaru tussled to get the larger man to release his arm, in doing so he successfully felt his limb taking strain from the unnatural struggle. He winced but didn't succumb to the NWs desires, instead only fighting harder to ensure it was not for nothing. Saura was trying to calm him down, saying that if the ninja did not simply run, he would surely let him go. It was not the words the shinobi cared to hear, for the man had lied before, and it had almost ended the Sannin up dead. Worse than that it had ruined his first chance of escape, and he had not forgotten the torture he was forced to contend with in the streets, beneath many curious eyes from passers. Orochimaru hissed and eventually lost his strength, he was not a physical fighter, tiajutsu always being a hindrance to him. Saura hauled the other with a bit too much force, due to the serpent momentarily tiring he was completely swept off balance and his light form slammed into the others chest. The Sannin shook when he made contact, his head spinning for the few seconds he took to recover. Saura mumbled an apology and looked down at the Sannin. Since the black haired male was a good head and a half shorter, the NW lifted his chin up to check if he was alright.

For a moment, Saura mistook the injury on his head as his own doing, haven not known about the serpents encounter with the father. When he laid eyes on it he apologized profusely, trying his best to convey he had never meant to draw blood let alone harm him at all. Light struggle marks had already appeared where the NW man had grasped the pale flesh. The marks may have been invisible on a more normal pigmented skin, but the porcelain white flesh made it stand out enough to be another cause for concern.

Deciding the man did not sound as if he was going to harm him, his composure gone after he thought he had hurt the smaller male, the serpent settled. He met him with angered and questioning eyes. It was obvious their last meeting was not forgotten, and it was even more obvious that the snake would need more than an apology for it.

"I'm glad I found you." Saura tried, the look the Sannin gave him made it clear that he felt quite the opposite. Never one to take a hint properly Saura carried on, he stumbled over his words until he finally blurted out something that made the cold stare watching him soften. Not by much, but enough for Saura to calm his ramblings.

"I saw what Satoru was doing. It was wrong- I swear I didn't know." Saura said, "I would have never called him if I had known the truth."

"It doesn't matter what you did," Orochimaru replied honestly, "I'd like to know what you plan on doing."

"I won't call Satoru I promise. I'm-" he paused when he saw the collar, he seemed even more grief stricken when he saw it, it was likely he knew the story behind the device, "is that..."

"Yes." Orochimaru said knowing full well by his expression alone that he was aware of its meaning, "but I'm free now. I'd like to remain that way if you wouldn't mind it."

"I already said I'm not calling the military." Saura repeated, "I'm not interested in this society any more than you are. I was doing my own research while you were gone- I studied the laws of ninja- the ideologies- how to do jutsu or at least how it works."

"I hope through your studies you've come to see us as no different to you. Minus our choice of fighting, we are all the same." Orochimaru said, "but either way, I need to get back to the others."

He found no point in telling him it was only the copy ninja left, he didn't want the man to think his group weaker. He wanted to remain a large number in his head, so that when he walked the idea of others walking among him persisted.

"I have a question- a few, if you wouldn't mind helping me. I could get that collar off, then it will be a trade." Saura insisted, it felt as if he simply wanted to gain the ninjas time, rather than make a quick bargain, but the shinobi desperately wanted the collar off.

"Kakashi has one as well, will you remove them both?" Orochimaru asked, he almost hissed his lovers name, he was not over his argument.

"I'll show you how to get yours off, then you can get his off yourself if you'd like." Saura suggested, his eyes were genuine, it did not make the Sannin trust him anymore. Orochimaru agreed to the terms, but he requested they first fetch the copy ninja anyway. Saura wasn't keen on the idea.

"You can go to him afterwards surely." Saura said.

"I can. But I don't want to." Orochimaru said bluntly.

"I'd prefer having one ninja rather than two. As far as I know you'll be able to cast more jutsu once I take that off." Saura said honestly.

"I'm capable of killing you without him." Orochimaru said dryly, his honesty dangerous, "whether he is present or not doesn't matter, the risk remains."

"I'll have to keep my eyes on both of you, I'll have to watch what I say more carefully as there are two threats around who could lose their patience." Saura said, "the risk is still higher. Would you have two guns pointed at you or one?"

"It doesn't matter if the first one is intent on shooting." Orochimaru said.

"Are you threatening to kill me?" Saura challenged.

"Are you requesting I walk back into your home alone?" Orochimaru retorted.

"Bring one of your other friends. Kakashi seems unpredictable." Saura finally said. The Sannin almost laughed, the man was clearly bad at reading people. Out of the two of them, the serpent was the one you should be cautious around, the copy ninja far more moral in his moves. It was only the fact that the snake was small, the copy ninja significantly bigger, at least big enough to match Saura dare he try to fight him man to man. As their earlier encounter showed, the Sannin had no hopes of physically stopping the NW, he had always relied on skill.

"They're busy." Orochimaru lied.

"I don't trust Kakashi." Saura pushed.

"I don't trust you." Orochimaru replied.

There was a few moments of silence as both males assessed the other, trying to see which one out of them would back down first. Orochimaru wasn't so much afraid of Saura as he was afraid to leave the copy ninja alone. He supposed the other had good enough sense not to panic and assume he had run off, but any amount of time would make him worry unnecessarily. They hadn't even found a common place to meet up at again, and the white haired Jonin would soon be kicked from the teens house.

"Fine. I'll come alone." Orochimaru said, "but only after I've told Kakashi where I am."

"I'll drive you there." Saura offered, he could see the answer in the others eyes before the male had to speak.

"That won't be necessary." Orochimaru replied, there was no way he was getting in to a vehicle which he could be trapped inside and shipped off to only hell knew where. Saura didn't argue as he tended not to, then followed the serpent back to the teens house where a panicked Kakashi waited. The copy ninja looked horrified when he saw the NW beside the Sannin, so Orochimaru requested Saura remain outside. He could see the millions of questions swimming around his lovers head, but he knew he was only going to answer the most important one.

"He won't call the military- or so he says." Orochimaru started, "he says he can get these collars off."

"And you're going to trust him?" Kakashi demanded. The serpents eyes narrowed.

"What else am I to do?" Orochimaru snapped.

"Ignore him, get as far from that two faced bastard as we can." Kakashi said with equal annoyance.

"And what, ruin another chance of freedom?" Orochimaru hissed.

"Don't be blinded by impatience, we can't trust him." Kakashi said looking over at the man with little tolerance. Having no idea what the copy ninja was saying, Saura tried to be polite and waved in an out of place friendly manner. The copy ninja certainly didn't wave back.

"The military is all over thanks to the attack. I'll be caught one way or another. Might as well give this a shot." Orochimaru said, "I'm not blinded by impatience, I'm driven by it. I see no point taking my time when bullets are aimed at me."

"Has he told you how he can get it off?" Kakashi asked.

"Not yet." Orochimaru answered, "I first wanted to inform you of where I was, we can meet back at the park when I am done."

"You're going alone now?" Kakashi said his voice edged on anger and worry.

"He doesn't trust you." Orochimaru said.

"Or maybe he only has one bullet." Kakashi muttered.

"What was that?" Orochimaru asked haven not heard him his tone still agitated.

"Just go. Run off back to the person who put us in this situation. I'll wait for you here." Kakashi said, "while you were walking around sight seeing I spoke to the family. They are less afraid of us now, unlike your friend they trust ninja. We can stay until we need to leave."

If Kakashi could have swallowed his words he would have, the serpents unimpressed stare had certainly sent his confidence spiralling into a defeated black hole. He wondered if saying more would help soften the deathly glare he was receiving, or if perhaps he would only dig himself a deeper grave. He didn't even receive a reply, the Sannin took the sentence as a queue to leave. Black hair whipped behind him with the speed the serpent abandoned the room. There was no point calling him back, he had already trotted down the street to Saura, who seemed equally as scared when he felt the angered presence appear.

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They got back to the park they had met at and Saura went to his car which was parked just outside it. The first time the NW had mentioned the caged metallic box the serpent had scoffed at the idea, he wouldn't be foolish enough to enter such a contraption willingly. However after his conversation with the copy ninja he wanted nothing more than to get on with it all. Be it he ended up dead or alive. He got in to the sleek machine, once again a new model of something the serpent didn't care for, and awaited the other to start the engine. Sensing the impatience the larger man did not linger, he politely told the Sannin he may want to put his seat belt on, but it was evident the other wasn't listening. If anger alone could root him to the seat then he wouldn't need a seat belt Saura decided as he let the topic go. The car spun out of the small side parking bay and entered the streets, dashing between red and green traffic lights. The house pulled into view shortly after, startling the Sannin into realizing just how close they had been to the man all night. Small world he supposed.

They entered the house leaving the cold behind them. Saura led the ninja up to an office residing on the second floor and shut the door behind them. Orochimaru flashed warning eyes at the man so the NW opened the door once again and apologized, he was well aware he would have much to owe in regards to earning the serpents trust back. He drew in next to his desk and sat in the chair as he messed in his drawer, since there was no other chair present the Sannin opted to sit on the desk where papers were not scattered across. He waited, for heaven knew what, until finally the man pulled out a strange looking device. It looked like a tool, perhaps a screw driver, but it had no end which could be of use. It also had a screen on the side of it, running down in a thin line.

"This will get that off, it'll override anything programmed to make the latches hold." Saura said, "in other words, it will crash the programming and force the device to open to be restarted."

It didn't make too much sense to the Sannin, he knew nothing of how the devices worked. He accepted it as a valid option however and eyed the man expectantly.

"Since I betrayed you last time... I'm guessing you're entitled to simply take that collar off and run off without answering my questions." Saura said, "but I don't want that. So after you answer my questions I'll take it off, and leave the device with you so you can help Kakashi. Also, there is something of yours downstairs, you lost it last we met, I'll give it to you when we are done."

"Very well." Orochimaru agreed, he had in actual fact considered evening the score, but opted rather not to. Since it was a fair point regardless the serpent did not complain with the arrangement, he didn't bother ask what it was he had lost, if he didn't remember he doubted it was important, "ask away."

"Well, I've read that anyone can learn how to cast jutsu." Saura said, "is that true?"

"No." Orochimaru stated flatly, "some of us have more of an ability to bring forth anything worth being called a jutsu. We all have chakara. But we cannot all cast jutsu."

"Is there a way to find out if you're capable?" Saura asked.

"There are many ways. The most obvious one would be trying." Orochimaru said wondering why the man cared. Surely he wouldn't want to learn the art of ninja. They saw their tactics as savage. A gun was an effective tool anyways, and it required less training and energy to use.

"How would you... try?" The NW asked.

"Are you asking me to give you a lesson on chakara?" Orochimaru asked, "that could take a much longer time than we have. I can run over the basics, but you'll need years before you'd be capable of performing any jutsu. Even then, the odds of you controlling your chakara well enough is unlikely, your people have not used it in so long, I'd be surprised if you haven't adapted past it."

"I'd like to give it a try." Saura edged again, "even if it's all for nothing."

The Sannin could see the determination in his eyes, so he decided he may as well get the lesson on with. He had trained ninja before, it was not new to him playing the role of advisor. However he had trained Genin and above, and never had he been burdened with a beginner. That was a job for a Chunin, and he had remained a Chunin for a short period of his life, being well advanced and being promoted at a young age. He did his best, trying to recall how he had been taught as a child, he had been extremely young. Ninja were not expected to be as far advanced as he was when he was merely six years old. He and the rest of the Sannin however, were exceptions and held in great respect for it. He tried for what felt like years but was in fact only an hour and a few minutes. Finally the Sannin had made a break through when the man finally got in touch with the chakara most ninja simply always felt attuned to since birth. It was physically draining for the serpent to work on such a small achievement, but Saura seemed to think he had conquered a small world.

"What you felt was your own chakara. Even people who can't cast jutsu can feel their own chakara with enough patience." Orochimaru said, "it doesn't mean you are now near able to preform any jutsu."

"But it means I have the ability to connect to my chakara. That's good right?" Saura asked. The Sannins golden eyes slipped out the window behind them and then looked back to the mans eager gaze.

"Yes." He said trying not to kill his enthusiasm, "it means you can connect to it, but that still does not mean you can be a ninja."

"At least my people have not lost their sense of chakara." Saura said, the Sannin nodded in acceptance.

"I hope you do not expect me to teach you more in return for that device you offered?" Orochimaru said, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life teaching someone how to be a ninja."

"Of course. Sorry." Saura said still preoccupied with the idea of being able to cast any kind of ability, "How would I know what element I am?"

"You'd see which one naturally comes to you." Orochimaru answered, that would not be a concern to the man in the serpents opinion. He doubted he would make it that far.

"You want to get out the dome correct?" Saura asked.

"Correct." Orochimaru said honestly, it wasn't like it was a secret.

"I could get you out." Saura said, he had the snakes attention now, not his trust, but certainly his curiosity.

"Why would you do that?" Orochimaru asked.

"I want to see the outside of the city. I want to try living with ninja instead of the people here, who are all self entitled hypocrites." Saura said, "I'll get you out safely, if you take me with you."

The Sannin thought it over. Could the man be playing a double agent? Would he track the ninja to a main source so that they would be able to bring the military over to the hiding ninja?

The Sannin thought about it, but he realized that there were no other villages still standing. The army which had barged in was a mystery force, as no one had survived the NW attack to the Sannin's knowledge. Either way, it was an elaborate plan, and the serpent and copy ninja would be equally as clueless in finding out where the ninja hid. He couldn't see the value in following the two ninja, catching them was far more useful. Still, he had his doubts.

"How do I know I can trust you? You could use us to locate other ninja for your cause." Orochimaru said.

"The military has much better ways of tracking ninja." Saura said, "they can sense chakara, they have detectors for it. All they need to do is hover over an area to locate any ninja."

"What if we are masking our chakara?" Orochimaru asked.

"Then it's harder but still detectable for our advanced machines." Saura said, "I spoke to Satoru about it before I met you. He said he sends out drones to search for ninja all the time, and that even the most secretive hideouts have been marked on our maps."

"Then why did the military not sense the ninja army coming?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Like I said, the drones have to hover over an area. It's likely the military only sensed the army once it was too close to stop." Saura said passively, leaning back in his chair to better see the ninja, "the military reacted fast despite the fact that its forces are not nearby. That's because they were notified a bit before the ninja broke the dome."

"Will they send these drones to look for the ninja?" Orochimaru asked, he was hoping they would have some reason not to, he was grateful when Saura calmed his worries.

"They haven't stopped searching the lands. Somehow they are nowhere to be found. Their location remains completely hidden." The NW said, "drones are out there all day and night looking for traces of life. We stumble upon no more than random groups at a time. But they are rogues, not a village."

Orochimaru tried to locate the one place he could think would manage such a feat. Unless the ninja found a way to mask their chakara they would have to have found a location that was not possible for drones to fly over. Either that, or they had gone somewhere the drones would not think to check. Having good knowledge of the nations that existed the Sannin ran their whereabouts over in his head. Hidden Mist was easy, the smoggy land would not be hidden beneath the layers of fog. Chakara was easily picked out from it. The Hidden Leaf he knew was conquered, the Hidden Stone could hide as rocks, but even as a mere Chunin the snake Sannin had learnt to sense when a rock held a sense of chakara. If he could sense it the drones would too. Then there was the Hidden Sand, the desert was large, but not so large the drones would have missed a spot. Other than that it was well in sight. There were many smaller nations, but they would not be able to hold or hide an army.

Old hideouts would never do the job of hiding an army and Saura had claimed the drones could pick up on old bases. The Hidden Cloud was the last nation the serpent could think of, at least with a strong enough fighting force and a big enough area. They dwelled on water, Saura had said they'd searched the land. Perhaps they did not know the village was not on land at all. There must have been a reason the large turtle island went unnoticed still, it was giant, it was noticeable from the shore. Saura broke the others train of thought.

"You can decide if I can come with when you're ready. I'm leaving the city with or without you, I'd appreciate help... but I'm not staying even if I'm forced to go alone." Saura said, the serpent could see his eyes were honest. He had felt the same when he ran from Konoha. There came a point when not belonging was more daunting than the prospect of leaving and failing.

"I'll speak to Kakashi. I don't see why the military would need you to follow us in all honesty. But I'll have to get Kakashi's consent as well." Orochimaru said, the NW seemed grateful at the trust, although it was not in actual fact trust at all. It was the Sannin not seeing the other as a threat and more so relating to his need for escape.

"Oh before I forget." Saura said getting up and going to the door, he gestured for the serpent to follow so he did. They trotted down the stairs and entered the elaborate lounge, the employed ninja were gone, the house now empty. Saura moved to the back garden door and the sound of a curios nose sniffing the bottom of the door startled the Sannin.

A whimper of excitement and then a few scratches of claws running down the frame filled the silence next, shortly after followed by more snorts as an excited nose tried to get in. Saura opened the door but the Sannin had already guessed who lay just beyond it and his eager steps over took the larger man. He was knocked back when the dog barged in, tail waving in utter over whelmed excitement his body never able to stop spinning in circles as he delighted to be a part of the reunion. Tsukiko whimpered and whined greeting the long lost friend and Orochimaru was down beside the dog greeting him back with eager enthusiasm.

The dog looked healthier than he had been when the serpent lost him, his wounds were healed, although some scars shone through his fur. He had become larger, probably due to the much needed added weight, he was a dog most people would likely stay away from his jaws capable of serious damage. The Sannin didn't see the threat in his beloved companion and allowed those same powerful jaws to be right beside his face as the dog licked him in devotion.

Saura lent on the doorframe watching the two, he was clearly taken aback at the reaction. Perhaps he had never known the meaning of animal and human companionship. Most ninja saw their familiars as family. Orochimaru had certainly never trusted anything other than his own chosen summonings and pets as NWs called them.

"I put up lost posters and called some local shelters. Eventually someone called me and I went to collect him." Saura said, "I wasn't sure if I was going to see you again, but I felt I owed you enough to at least take him in. I'm glad I did."

The Sannin was still a bit too preoccupied by the dog to fully take in what the man was saying, he flashed grateful eyes over at him but then returned to his friend who did his best to hog the spotlight for a while longer. Saura went back inside, leaving the two alone in the morning air, the cold was not of either of their concerns. Tsukiko didn't feel it with his thick fur, and the serpent didn't feel it in his distraction. The NW returned with the device the Sannin had come for and leant down next to the snake. There was a beeping sound as Saura held a button and then the choking hold of the collar fell away. The serpent hadn't noticed it was a pressure that made breathing more troublesome. He had adapted to the unnatural feeling, he had grown accustomed to taking deeper breaths to get enough oxygen.

"Thanks." Orochimaru said as he hastily took the collar off. He didn't allow the man to know he had jutsu, just in case it freaked him out and made him have another change of heart. He would never trust the man because he was unpredictable. He changed his mind often. It didn't mean he was a bad person, it meant he was a person unworthy of trust.

"You wouldn't have needed the help if I hadn't been so quick to fear you." Saura admitted, he then handed the device to the Sannin and showed him which button he had clicked to destroy the collars programming, "I can take you back to Kakashi, you could free him, and when you're ready let me know if you want my help getting out."

"I will. I'm sure he won't mind it." Orochimaru said, he was in actual fact entirely unsure if the man would be happy with the NW. He almost doubted it, but then again it was Kakashi who preached for second chances. Tsukiko was almost glued to the serpents side so much so that keeping him in the back seat became a bit of a comical mission. The large canine was half standing on the passenger seat while his back legs remained at the back. He almost made Saura cause several accidents despite it being a short drive and people hooted in annoyance. Since the ninja found it amusing, his narrowed eyes and mischievous smile indicating he found their irritation funny, the NW didn't complain or send the dog back to his place. They got to the house and the Sannin hopped out, notably in a much better mood. Tsukiko didn't wait for the Sannin to open the back door and instead clambered over the leather seats, desperate to not be left behind. Orochimaru stifled his laughter and led the dog inside, he had agreed to walk to Saura once he had made a decision.

Orochimaru knocked on the door and waited for the house owners let him in, he didn't trust them and didn't want the father to emerge with the gun. Kakashi was the one who came to the door, he seemed relieved to see the male but reserved his feeling unsure if they were still on bad terms. The energy shifted as soon as they met eyes and the serpent felt his own smile die into nothing, Tsukiko grumbled and waved his tail anxiously. He liked Kakashi, but he liked the Sannin more, and if they walked opposite ways the dog would go with the smaller ninja who had helped him on the first day he saw hope.

"He got your collar off." Kakashi observed stepping outside and shutting the door behind him, "and you found Tsukiko."

He said it with little emotion, most likely because he didn't want to be stepping over any boundaries. Tsukiko lay down at the serpents feet, he was not partaking in this reunion, it was not a pleasant one and he would rather mind his own business staying loyally at his chosen humans side.

"I can get yours off as well." Orochimaru said, he held the device to his chest, his arms crossed over it. Kakashi watched as the Sannin clicked the button Saura had shown him, the device nearby the collar still active. Without fail the same beeping sounded and the collar fell away becoming nothing more than a metallic frame. Kakashi rubbed the area that had been restricted for so long. It was certainly much more pleasant being free. He thanked his lover and placed a welcoming hand on the dogs head.

Tsukiko looked up his tongue lolling out his mouth his tail wagging gently in a reciprocated greeting. He then licked the mans hand as he pulled away.

"Saura says he can get us out the city." Orochimaru said, he hadn't felt that awkward around the copy ninja in a long time. They had fought, but there was a haunting distance between them.

"I don't trust him." Kakashi said instantly. Orochimaru didn't allow the interruption to offend him, and continued with his last point.

"He wants to leave the city for good, he says he would like to try and be a ninja himself." Orochimaru continued, "he said he is leaving with or without us, but if we wish to sneak out with him then we owe him a safe journey into our world."

"He doesn't deserve to be a ninja." Kakashi said, "not after what he did. What he let happen to you."

Orochimaru tilted his head to the side in question, "Deserve? Does one need to be of a certain moral capacity to be a ninja?"

"You know what I mean." Kakashi said, his voice was still calm, both of theirs were, but they were disagreeing on everything as of late. Orochimaru sighed, he let the question fall away. He just wanted to get a straight answer.

"Security is tight. We won't get out alone. This might be another way out." Orochimaru said.

"Do you think that we should trust him?" Kakashi asked, deciding to rather see the snakes view entirely before making any more judgements.

"I weighed out our options. This is a rare chance, I wouldn't let it slip us by." Orochimaru said, "he has no gain following us. Anything he could gain from following us he could have gained with more ease simply using the militarized machines."

"Then fine. We will go with him." Kakashi said, Orochimaru knew the copy ninja didn't agree with the plan. If it was up to him he would have said no, he simply did not want to go against the serpent anymore. Although it was the answer Orochimaru had wanted it was not answered for the reason he had wanted. His eyes held his troubled expression honestly. Kakashi averted his own eyes from the hopeless golden ones.

"I'd respect your opinion." Orochimaru said after a pause, "and I'd like to know how you actually feel on matters."

"I think we should go with him." Kakashi said, "we can't waste another opportunity. If you say he has nothing to gain I'll trust you, I don't trust him but I trust you and your judgement. We have our chakara now, we have something between ourselves and threats."

Orochimaru nodded, once again he felt as if his lover was saying what he knew the Sannin wanted to hear. It was pointless trying to give his partner a voice while he was simply trying to please the other ninja.

"We can let him know when we are ready." Orochimaru said, the copy ninja tried his best to ease the tension by acting natural, by acting optimistic. He lead the Sannin and his dog inside and they sat in the lounge waiting for the family to get home. They had all gone out to go get checked at a hospital. The NW citizens seemed paranoid about injury. The ninja decided to thank the family for their help and then depart. Tension finally eased an hour in to waiting, when they sat beside one another on the couch talking about more meaningless things. Orochimaru let a serpent slip around his arm, it had been too long away from his summonings. The serpent did not express as much excitement as Tsukiko did, but it slithered around its summoner in what could only be taken as some kind of happiness. Its tongue flicked in and out tasting the air and the environment. The large serpent eventually moved across to the copy ninja. Kakashi let the reptile do as it liked, he moved his arm out its way and let it move freely up to his shoulder. He caught a smile from his lover out of the corner of his eye. He knew most people squealed and panicked by his unique choice of summonings, he seemed to be pleased when the copy ninja was so calm with them. Tsukiko leapt around in fascination. He bounced backwards and then stealthily snuck forwards to try and sniff the snake. He kept his body far and stretched his neck over, still on edge by the new creature. The snake flicked its tongue out and tried to analyse the dog. Tsukiko scattered around the floor trying to both greet and flee the reptile. Orochimaru was leaning into the copy ninjas chest, the larger mans arms wrapped around his waist as they sat comfortably watching the two animals interact.

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The first part of Saura's plan was to get the two ninjas chakara back. When he discovered they already had it, he was rather eager to get out. He explained the rest of his idea to them. The plan was too simple to put the ninja at ease, Saura claimed all he had to do was go to the gate, he was allowed out if he wanted to. He had the right documents to excuse him, he had the right status and class in society to do as he wished. In short, he had enough money. He was met by questioning eyes. Saura came back after speaking to the border guards then returned to his car where the Sannin and the copy ninja sat with the dog.

"Okay, I've asked to leave and gotten us all permission." Saura said, "if you two are ready we can leave in a chopper."

The ninja nodded, they had no reason to wait, both ninja cast themselves in jutsu and took on the forms of NW citizens, they would pretend to be friends of Saura and he had claimed they were exploring out the dome. The borders had been shut to the public, but Saura was an exception with his relations to the Superior. And once again thanks to his wealth. The city was seemingly run on money.

The guards looked at the ninja, who now appeared to be NW citizens. They let them pass, both ninja were good at acting and kept their composure. Playing the part as people excited to simply get a view out the outside world. The plan was to work smoothly. They would be taken around a designated zone, a zone the military deemed safe for the NW. The chopper would let them sight see some of the outside world, then turn around and take them home. Naturally, the ninja, both capable of jutsu, would stop the pilot from turning the plane around. They would force the man to land, then they would knock the man unconscious and they would take off into the forest. Orochimaru had opted to kill the pilot, but the other two men decided that was too harsh. They would be discovered as missing eventually. There was no need to kill him.

The plane juddered into the air, Tsukiko grumbled in distress as the ground moved, in all honesty Orochimaru didn't find he was faring well either. He had shifted into the form of a woman, and the pilot spoke over calmly trying to reassure the only female on board. Tsukiko was played off as a companion dog, a dog who would calm the female in the group down. Service dogs were exceptions, so they allowed him on board. After all, if a service dog was removed from their dedicated human, the human with the condition could fall into panic.

The pilot was kind, and pointed out things the ninja didn't find interesting, but Saura seemed impressed by it all. He must have been sheltered, he was amazed at the amount of nature. Orochimaru realized it was probably best they didn't kill the man after all. He would have felt something like guilt, when they got just past the military's sights the two ninja took on their proper forms. The pilot seemed to freeze up in fear.

"Land the plane and we won't hurt you." Saura instructed. It wasn't convincing enough so the Sannin took over, a large deep brown snake slipped out from his sleeve and wrapped around the man lightly. The pilots eyes went wide, he was half way through panic and trying to remember his military training.

"If you steer us towards the gates we will kill you. If you land us safely we will let you go." Orochimaru said, "over there."

The man did as he was told when the Sannin instructed him to and the plane shakily made its way down scattering leaves as they landed. Kakashi helped Saura out, chakara flaring around his feet. He felt much more alive out the dome, away from its influence over his chakara. Orochimaru let his serpent turn to smoke, then swiftly knocked the man unconscious. He would be fine when he awoke, a bit fearful perhaps, but unharmed in every other sense.

Orochimaru couldn't explain his excitement as he leapt out the chopper to stand on his own two feet, a dark purple and black chakara flared around him for a few seconds as he checked to see if it was all real. Tsukiko barked in joy catching on to the other energy as he bounded beside him. Saura watched the ninja in fascination. He was curious and nervous. He was out of his element, he had left his world with nothing more than a gun and backpack.

"Where are we going now?" He asked, it seemed he wasn't sure where anything was, he would have been royally screwed without the ninja, despite saying he would have gone it alone. It was evident he was vastly unequipped to be in nature as he half stumbled over roots following the ninja into the giant forest.

"We don't know exactly." Kakashi replied, Tsukiko yipped and tunnelled ahead, stopping once in a while to throw his head backwards to ensure the humans were following. Orochimaru eventually got bored with the NWs slow pace, and much like an excited puppy himself, galloped after Tsukiko sticking to his side as he hopped through trees and leapt over branches. Saura laughed when he saw just how lively the ninja became when he was in his own home.

"You seem a lot more at ease in your own habitat." Saura blabbered never once stopping to think how dehumanizing the wording was. He wasn't met with annoyance like he would've been back in the city. The energy was too happy and relieved.

"Careful, you're running with wolves now." Orochimaru mocked, "we are unpredictable."

Saura was slow on the joke and didn't pick up on the fact that the Sannin was playing off the NWs view of them being animals. He took it literally and looked over at Kakashi for reassurance as he half tumbled over the next root ahead of them.

"He isn't serious." Kakashi said, "we are no different from you. Even in our own _habitat_."

Saura took the words easily and then tried to keep up, his breath was faltering and he called for the group to slow down. Orochimaru called for the dog to return and the loyal beast did so, galloping over roots with much more grace than the city human counterpart.

"Catch your breath." Orochimaru said kindly, he wasn't mocking the man, he had experience with non ninja back in his Konoha days. He would lead them to safety on missions, acting as a body guard. He was not unfamiliar with slowing down his natural pace, "but we must keep moving as soon as you feel fine again. They will find our pilot and try track us with your drones."

The NW was aware of the looming threat and took only a few minutes to recoup. He tried to act manly again as he rose, it must have been awfully embarrassing being the one in need, he had loved the role of provider back in the city, the serpent forced to acknowledge his leader position. Now tables had turned. Saura watched the two ninja with interest. Orochimaru took the lead physically being in the front, but it was still Kakashi leading. Tsukiko and the Sannin simply could not contain their new found energy, jutsu had always awakened the Sannin, and the dog merely borrowed from that. Regardless, it was the constant glancing back to affirm Kakashi was going the same way that caught the NWs attention. Golden eyes often landed on the copy ninja, who didn't once check on the serpent. He kept his eyes set on the road, set on leading them where they went while also guarding them and keeping an eye out for danger from the back. They continued down the seemingly never ending forest path, the ninja found themselves helping the man get over minor obstacles and even calming him down when the NW spotted what he thought to be threats.

Tsukiko charged the wildlife, but he responded well to the Sannin, so when the dark haired male called for him to come back he obeyed. They ventured further until the land leading forwards was cut in the middle by a wide river. Its waters were rough and it seemed to be deep. Saura looked at it as if it was a mountain, an impossible obstacle which forced them to choose a new direction. He looked mildly shocked when he saw the ninja walk on to it. They both stopped, realizing now that the man would not be able to use chakara to defy the water. Tsukiko whimpered, equally as unequipped. He placed one paw in the fast paced stream and backed away. It was not strong enough to claim anyone who dared swim across it, but the residents of the river were unknown, and so it was daunting to enter its depths.

"...Shall we wait here or...?" Saura mused as he gave the impression he was not entering the rapids. Kakashi doubted he could carry the man across, but he had no problem going back to awkwardly pick the dog up. Tsukiko was by no means small enough for it to be easy, he had been thin when Hidan held him. Now he was bulky and tall, a large breed for that matter. A happy and satisfied smile was on the clumsy dogs face as his mixbreed features looked around.

Once on the other side the dog shook himself off, as if he truly believed he had swum across. The copy ninja turned back to see what he was going to do about Saura, but his lover had already decided on a plan. A large serpent, much larger than the humans beside it slipped easily across the river. Because it was long rather than tall it would not be noticeable by anything above the forest. Its long and thick body could reach the bottom of the river and it could be coiled on both sides. It didn't have to try to swallow the humans whole. It could have easily swallowed all three of them plus the dog if it chose. All in one gulp, not needing to stretch its jaw unnaturally either. Saura paled before it and Orochimaru placed a welcoming hand on its head, he was rather fond of his summons.

"Just hop on him, he will get you across." Orochimaru said when he saw the hesitance on the others face, he forgot the other was not used to being up and personal with an over sized predator, "he won't attack unless I ask him to, and he doesn't eat humans anyway."

Kakashi wondered if the last part was a lie, he was used to all the snakes the Sannin summoned being rather fond of human flesh. It wasn't the time to bring that up. Saura seemed more ready to rather swim across, but the Sannin and the copy ninja knew the waters held less tame predators.

The giant serpent flicked its tongue out and then let its large slitted eyes shift between Orochimaru and Saura. It was being as patient as it could, but it was notably asking why the man was taking so long. Snakes lacked the ability to communicate socially in a way humans understood. The snake summoner himself seemed to pick up on their language, he seemed able to read them easily, but other humans were not as attuned to their ways. Likewise the snakes were not accustomed to human body language. They could read it, but they could not mimic it.

"If I wanted to kill you I'd have left you behind." Orochimaru said, "my serpents have helped many people without fail. They never turn on their summoners."

Saura nodded, but it took him a good few more minutes to get closer, then another few to touch its large head. When its tongue flicked out he rushed away again uneasily. The ninja waited patiently, they knew it would take time. Tsukiko grumbled and lay down where he could find a soft patch of dirt. Finally Saura found the confidence to clamber on to the snakes back. It was submerged in water, so he could climb on where the river dipped deeper, meaning the snake acted as the rest of the land. He got slightly wet, but all in all he was safe from predators.

He mumbled a thanks to the Sannin, then tried his best to shuffle away from the giant snake. Orochimaru stroked the reptile once before allowing it to return to its own world. Orochimaru was glad Saura had thought to buy them all warmer clothes, they donned long cloaks which passed off as winter wear, but helped them keep their identities hidden as well. It did its intended job of shunning the nipping cold air, but ultimately the Sannin liked to slip away from eyes at will with the hood, he didn't always need onlookers. Although the forests appeared baron he knew better than to assume they were uninhabited. When the woods became less strewn with obstacles and the ground became flat Saura had found the confidence to speak. He questioned the ninja mercilessly about jutsu and how it worked, he even tried to start learning it as they proceeded. The ninja took turns focusing on the area and scanning for enemies while the other would answer the endless stream of questions. It was the copy ninjas turn, and he was already back in teacher mode and he tried his best to get the NW to show any sign of chakara emerging from his flesh. Both ninja felt the different pressure added to the air, Orochimaru stopped dead to throw his eyes back at the NW. He had a light flare of blue faintly glowing around his hand, the one he focused on intently. He looked like a Genin when he realized what he had done.

"Looks like the NWs have not lost the ability to use jutsu." Kakashi said impressed, "well done."

Saura was delighted with himself, and the rest of the journey resulted in him trying out this new found ability. The glow got less faint but not by much, it was also uncontrolled and was nothing more than chakara surfacing. Even Genin were able to do such a trivial feat, but since the man had lived in a world without jutsu it must have been greatly impressive, an ability he didn't even know existed was no in his grasp. It grew dark and they decided it would be time to take a proper break. Although Saura was not as fit and nimble as the ninja he managed to keep up when he was excited about his success. Orochimaru slowed and then turned to the others.

"We are heading to the ruins of Konoha." He said, more so that Saura knew, Kakashi and the serpent had already mutually agreed on their destination, "that's still a day's journey away. We should rest for a few hours."

"We can carry on in the morning." Saura said eagerly, he was happy to have a break.

"Early morning. We will leave when it is still dark to make good time." Orochimaru said, "Kakashi we can take turns guarding."

"You can sleep first." Kakashi offered.

"Fine, but don't try and do the entire shift on your own. Wake me up half way." Orochimaru said, or more ordered, he knew his lover would attempt to take on full responsibility. The copy ninja decided he would listen to the male, after all he would be angry when he woke up.

It was a biting cold air now that the sun was gone, it was almost pitch black but the ninja were used to the dark. Saura was skittish, wondering how they could be calm, he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. The trees covered the moon and only a few stars lit the area. Orochimaru came up beside the NW, he could sense his nerves.

"We can sense anything coming from a mile away." Orochimaru said, "so rest easy. One of us will always be up."

Saura nodded, then wrongly assuming the other couldn't see him properly in the dark, he added a quick "ok". They settled down on the moist floors, it wasn't comfortable but it was all they could accept. Orochimaru settled down and nestled into Kakashi's chest trying to share the warmth they both made, Tsukiko was quick to cuddle between them. Kakashi sat up allowing the other to still rest comfortably on him, he ran his hand through his hair untangling the loose knots as he did so. He felt the even breathing of his lover shortly after everyone fell silent indicating he was asleep. He could still tell Saura was not asleep, his breathing still too focused. Kakashi wondered if it was cold, fear or just the unusualness of the situation which made him struggle.

"Are you cold?" Kakashi finally asked the man, he spoke softly so that the Sannin remained sleeping beneath his secure arms.

"I'm fine." Saura said, "is he asleep?"

"Yes." Kakashi answered, he hated how interested the man was in the serpent. He wasn't one to get jealous, but it would be annoying to anyone in a relationship having their partner hounded by another infatuated party. What made it worse was that he tried to act inconspicuous while directly hinting at his interest in the copy ninjas lover. Kakashi kept his collected demeanour when he spoke, there was no need to say anything harsh. It was all petty words for now.

"Which one of you is stronger?" Saura asked, "I don't mean physically, he isn't very strong physically."

The next question also irked the copy ninja, he wasn't a fan of people mentioning the other males physical weakness. It was obvious, a statement which did not need to be said to be known. Orochimaru never cared about it personally, he knew he was slim in build, and he worked with it rather than against it. He would use another's size against them, and he did not get too insulted when someone took a shot at his small feminine form.

"We have never fought to the death." Kakashi said as he avoided the question.

"So you are equal most likely." Saura decided, "how long have you been together?"

Kakashi thought it over, almost two years he supposed, they started during the last NW attack.

"Almost two years." Kakashi said, he glanced down at Orochimaru as the male shifted in his sleep, one hand grasping the dogs fur the other the fabric on the Jonins shirt. He looked peaceful despite a slight shiver running down his spine every time a breeze blew past.

"Not too long then." Saura said, Kakashi saw light blue flash by the man, he was testing out the chakara again. Kakashi wanted to punch him. What did not too long mean? That there was less love built, that they were easier to pull a part? Two years was a long enough time in his opinion. Not many ninja dated, it was hard to maintain missions and private affairs. Death was a causality on a regular basis as well, so lovers became disparaged and often neglected to form bonds of such connection. The two ninja were highly skilled, it was even harder for shinobi of their level to stay in a relationship. Everyone looked to them when things were hard, and love was a fragile flame, it could easily be suffocated when the eyes of the public fell to the well-known couple.

"Long enough." Kakashi replied, his voice still hid his annoyance.

"So you're both still happy then?" Saura asked, he was awfully obvious.

"Never been better." Kakashi lied, they had just gotten over a fight, and the tension of that lingered even though they were once again communicating properly. Saura remained silent then spoke.

"I heard if ninja break up they fight until the death. The stronger ninja wins and moves on. Would you kill him if he wanted to leave you?" Saura asked. Kakashi looked over, this time he couldn't hide his irritation. There were many things which triggered the anger. Firstly, he truly believed ninja were so savage.

If that was not worse he made it obvious he wanted, or more expected the ninja to break up. On top of that, he had only asked the man which one of them was stronger because he wanted to check if the Sannin would be able to leave the copy ninja dare he try and _kill_ him. The prospect was ridiculous. If the Sannin turned rogue and started committing more crimes Kakashi still would never be able to sink his blade into the male. He felt his arms wrap slightly tighter around the serpent, almost as if Saura would dare try and physically take the Sannin away.

"That's a myth." Kakashi said, "and a foolish one. I suggest you go to sleep. We won't stop and wait for you if you are too tired."

Saura caught the hint of threat. Although it took him more time to fall asleep than he would have liked it turned out he was just tired enough to ease into slumber. Kakashi was grateful, Orochimaru shifted once more in his sleep, his calm features made the copy ninja collect himself. He enjoyed the scent of his lover and the feeling of his hair. It was most certainly helping his sanity being close to the serpent. He could just barely make out the scratch on his head, the one he had received at the teens house. The Sannin had not regenerated as it was far too minor an injury. Still it would bother the copy ninja until it had completely healed.

Authors note- Thanks for the super inspiring reviews! I look forward to hearing your opinions! And since I get a review without fail from the lovely Vampiredoll666 it is only fair I give special thanks for the kind words! Hope everyone reading enjoyed the chapter!


	16. Remember you're different

_"I told you to hide your heart"_

Orochimaru looked over at the man slumbering behind him. It was still dark, the early morning air cold enough to make it unpleasant. They had all agreed to start the journey before the sun rose so the Sannin lightly nudged his partner. Kakashi's eyes flittered open and rested on the serpent, he kissed his forehead in greeting and then got to his feet. Saura was still asleep, his face contorted in an unhappy expression, evidently showing his disgust for the uncomfortable sleeping arrangement. Tsukiko stretched his legs bending forwards and yawned, a small whine escaping his mouth as he did so. He then looked at the two ninja and wagged his tail happily. Orochimaru walked over to the NW and then dropped to one knee by him shaking him lightly. Saura jumped awake and the sudden movement frightened the Sannin into leaping away. The man apologized for waking up in such a frantic movement and then got to his feet groggily. He looked around and then realized the ninja had wanted to walk during the dark. It was harder to see and he wasn't pleased with the idea, but he decided he would rather just be agreeable. Kakashi watched the man irritably. He hadn't forgotten the man's words the previous night, and although he had no true worries that his lover would ever leave him for the NW, the fact that he had planted the seed was enough to anger him.

Orochimaru was oblivious and proceeded normally, making light conversation with both men, he soon realized something was up however. The two males spoke in stunted manners and when the conversation moved in a direction where the two would converse they instantly dropped all of their words and let the discussion die. The Sannin didn't know what the problem was, but it put him in an awkward position, both other men only speaking to him and cutting one another off. Orochimaru found himself having two conversations at once, and it wasn't to his liking either. He kept it up to keep civility alive. It was proving harder than he thought and he opted to avoid speaking at all. He picked up his pace saying he wanted to scout a few steps ahead. Kakashi wanted to object, evidently not wanting to be left alone with the NW. Tsukiko sensed the urgency and barked, lunging ahead giving the Sannin a gap to escape and get to the front. He sighed in relief when they were too far ahead to see him, he wasn't far but the darkness hid him. The copy ninja looked at the only other person near him and sighed, he wasn't doing as well as he usually did keeping his composure. Saura looked over at the copy ninja when he heard the annoyance enter the air.

They met eyes in the slight darkness and both could sense the uneasiness. Kakashi decided he would try and be more polite, as to not cause more tension while he was still having issues with the Sannin. It didn't work out the way he had planned. Orochimaru heard the sound of something colliding and Tsukiko leapt two feet in the air and spun to face the way they had come. Orochimaru halted and then realizing where the noise was coming from he raced back a few steps. He stopped when he saw the two males, Kakashi had the NW pinned to a tree, he had an angered expression on his face his arm pinning the man by his neck. The Sannin ran to his lover and grabbed his arm pulling him off. The copy ninja shook the serpent away as he remained fixed on the NW. Tsukiko grumbled in distress. Orochimaru hissed. He didn't appreciate being shaken off, he didn't want to resort to jutsu to stop his lover, he had hoped the man would stop just because he knew the Sannin wanted him to.  
"Get off him Kakashi," Orochimaru hissed, his final attempt at making the copy ninja stop.  
"We owe this bastard nothing," Kakashi said, the serpent hadn't expected to hear such anger and the loudness in the others passive voice startled him for a moment before his golden eyes narrowed, their unnatural colouring glowing in the dark.

"So you're going to kill him?" Orochimaru asked trying to remain calm despite the obvious hint of frustration in his voice. He could tell his lover wasn't letting go, he was actually trying to decide if he should kill the man. The Sannin wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing but he opted to stop him. He allowed large serpents to wrap around the man's arms, they didn't bite in to his flesh but merely constricted tightly as they struggled to pull him off. They hissed in protest as he electrocuted them off, forcing their bodies to uncoil and move off for a moment. Orochimaru allowed his summons to turn to smoke, he wasn't going to force them to fight with a man he wouldn't allow them to hurt, despite his willingness to fight back.  
"Leave him," Orochimaru ordered as he tried to once again physically force his lover away, he doubted the copy ninja would electrocute him, but small blue bolts drifted down the man's arm, they were widening their reach, threatening to get to the Sannin. Orochimaru ignored the blue lightning. It trailed down and he felt the small sensation of it running through his body, he hissed in discomfort but refused to move away. In the distraction Saura had managed to dig something out of his bag. He held it up and Orochimaru saw the flash of movement before the other ninja, the gun shone in the light as Saura clicked the trigger.

Worrying thoughts flashed through the Sannins head, if Kakashi was shot he was dead, he would not have a healer around and he had no regeneration abilities of his own. He reacted quicker than the bullet itself as he knocked his lover aside allowing chakara to flare around him, strengthening his usually weak form as the dark black and purple colouring over took him. Kakashi was sent crashing into the ground and he skidded to a halt, he heard the gun shot at the same time he felt the blow he received from the Sannin. He closed his eyes as he braced for the shot. It never hit him and he looked up soon after to see the serpent holding his stomach blood running down the side of his mouth and hand. Pain was written across his face as he stumbled back a few steps. Tsukiko growled and spun in panic he wanted to join the attack but wasn't sure of who was against the snake and who was with him. His fur was raised and his teeth were bared as he snapped at anyone who got to close, he backed up preparing to lunge at either man. Saura flashed apologetic eyes at the serpent. He hadn't meant to shoot him, he hadn't wanted to harm him, he wanted to fend off the copy ninja. In another blur the serpent had regenerated the old form turning to smoke his body now without injury. He looked up at the NW, his eyes still held the same fear however.

"Don't shoot," He said, he was ready to kill the man if he did not lower his gun, he was ready to send serpents to his living form to crush the air from his lungs. He had use for the man, he did not want to resort to such means. He hadn't meant for his voice to shake, he hadn't realized that he had developed such a phobia to the guns the men held. Saura did not put his gun down, he did not want to, his eyes reflected equal fear. Kakashi regretted his decision. Saura had said something about the serpent once more, it had angered the copy ninja who responded with equal venom. Then Saura had punched him. For some reason, the fact that the NW resorted to violence had made the copy ninja want him dead. Perhaps he felt he was unpredictable. He regretted losing his patience, he regretted pinning him to the tree and considering ending his life. It was not in his nature. But he could not trust the man who had done so much to them already.  
"I'm not shooting anyone who isn't going to attack me." Saura tried to be reasonable. But he was now afraid of the jutsu wielders. He did not want to be unarmed in their presence. It was understandable and yet it would mean the entire procedure would be difficult. Tsukiko whimpered. Kakashi tried to get to his feet but Saura turned his gun on him.  
"Don't!" Orochimaru said, Kakashi remained on one knee when he saw the mans panic.

"How do I know you won't kill me when I sheath my gun?" Saura snapped.  
"We could have killed you already, we can move faster than you can aim," Kakashi said. "We have fought your men before, we know how to dodge bullets. You are a one man army, we have destroyed greater foes than you."  
It was not the answer the man wanted to hear, it did not put him at ease and the serpent hissed at his lover for wording it in such a way.  
"We don't want to harm you either. Lower your gun, you don't need to put it away just stop aiming it at us," Orochimaru tried, the NW looked in to the serpents eyes. "If I wanted you dead I would have let Kakashi do so. I won't let him attack you-again."  
Still he found his usually confident voice shaking in a pitiful manner, he hoped he could collect himself once the gun was lowered, Saura dropped it to his side slowly, it did not help. Orochimaru tried to calm himself, he gestured for Kakashi to get to his feet slowly then demanded his body cooperate and settle. His eyes once filled with fear fell in to something more confident and he soundlessly breathed out, allowing no one to notice his pathetic attempts at calming down.  
"Kakashi, you walk ahead scouting for danger. I think it's best if you two aren't so close to one another, I'll guard from the back," Orochimaru said, trying to construct the team in a way which would ensure no one got hurt.

The Jonin did not argue, he had apologetic eyes held on to his lover. He hadn't wanted the serpent to get involved. Orochimaru did not seem too offended, he was shaken, that was obvious, but he met his partners eyes. Although the way the Jonin acted was not to his taste he knew he would never act in such a way without validation, no one did things without reason. Kakashi was usually steady minded, if he had been pushed to do something so drastic the other party must have been to blame to a large degree.  
The copy ninja slipped to the front, Saura kept his gun on hand but his shoulders relaxed when the Jonin disappeared in to the blackness. Tsukiko followed the man in the lead, he would run back every few minutes to make sure the Sannin was still following, but his eager paws compelled him to stay in front. They walked in silence until the sun rose. The gun was now visible but Orochimaru did his best to not look at it, it would only further his discomfort. Saura was the first to speak, and it did not surprise the Sannin that he was once again questioning jutsu. He allowed blue chakara to flare again, this time it was stronger, the man having more purpose. Having a key eye for potential, the serpent decided to push his abilities.  
"Try concentrating your chakara somewhere else," Orochimaru said, the man looked over to him.

He had a look of confusion and questioning, as if he needed more to go off. There was little the Sannin could really say, so he moved closer keeping his eyes on the gun.  
"Like this," He said, he channelled his own chakara through the man, it ran down him and lit up his feet, an area which would allow him to walk on things nature forbid. Up trees or walls, even on top of water. Saura seemed on edge with the chakara around him. It was far more potent than his, if it chose, it could swallow his own energy whole. Orochimaru let his own chakara fall away, he had given the man a sense of feeling what needed to be felt. It would be easier now that all he had to do was imitate the sensation he had just undergone. It was an hour since the Sannin had given the man the advice and frustration was written on his face. He cussed and gave up for the next few minutes. He continued when he had composed himself, but his irritation returned moments later. Orochimaru sensed the change before Saura knew he had accomplished it. Yellow eyes moved over praisingly and soon blue chakara faintly glowed around the mans feet. He was undeserving of praise, he seemed to be more than capable of praising himself. The Sannin allowed the man to mess with the concept for a while longer. Once the man had successfully done it the serpent upped the challenge.

"Try walking up that fallen tree," He said confidently. The large tree was bent, it not being straight meant it would not require too much chakara to fasten the man to its trunk. It was a steep bridge almost and Orochimaru was certain the challenge was not too much. It was going easy on him, easier than Chunin did with Genin. Saura blinked at him, he personally did not think it looked easy. Once again the Sannin decided to demonstrate what he meant. He trotted over to the fallen trunk and walked up it, it was as suspected hardly worth needing chakra for at all. Saura understood a bit better and attempted to copy him. He shakily got to the top and watched as the Sannin gracefully hopped down.  
"You can use your chakara to protect you from falls," Orochimaru explained. "Ordinarily I would not be able to jump down from such a height without hurting myself, but when I have chakara I can ascend to higher grounds and land soundlessly or descend without any casualties."  
Saura was skeptical, he knew he could hurt himself badly if he failed. The Sannin did not fear for the man, he would know the moment the man jumped whether he would succeed or fail. He could easily help him dare he land incorrectly.  
"Don't think about it too hard," Orochimaru said crossing his arms over his chest. Saura took the leap of faith and the Sannin saw him slip up. Large snakes caught him as they materialized out from thin air. The NW landed safely but he seemed a bit shaken from it.

"Try it again," Orochimaru offered, if the man didn't he may develop a fear of it and be even more reluctant the next time he tried. The Sannin was calm and reassured, and his confidence fed the other mans confidence. Either that or he was set on impressing the feminine ninja below. He got back on to the tree this time with less disgrace. He then leapt down taking a moment to simply fall in to it naturally. Orochimaru allowed him to hit the floor and the NW opened his eyes to realize he had landed without failing. It was another step the man did not think he would accomplish. They eventually saw the destroyed village come in to view, Kakashi leant on a wall, cracked down the sides, waiting for the others. Tsukiko lay beside him, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he lay tiredly. He barked a greeting and Orochimaru leant down to stroke him before rising. Saura held his gun tight at his side, the copy ninja didn't even pay him attention. They entered the wrecked town, despite it being clear that no form of life existed in its borders.  
"We can see if there are supplies here. Perhaps rest for the night even, but no one has been here in ages," Kakashi said. "I already scouted the place. My hounds said there is no scent of life for miles, meaning no one even set up camp here."  
"The others did not come this way then," Orochimaru acknowledged.  
"Seems that way," Kakashi said. "Let's find a place to rest and discuss where our next destination is."

They had walked all day, from early morning to late evening, the sun started to abandon them again. Not that it had offered much light or warmth in the cold forest leading up to the hidden leaf village. The two ninja instinctively went back to their home, where they had happily started their small life together. It didn't surprise them that it was in ruin, but neither one could hide their disappointment. Saura didn't know what he was looking at, he picked it up a few moments later when the ninja spoke to one another.  
"We knew we'd have to rebuild," Orochimaru said, the house was Kakashi's, Orochimaru had lived with him since he did not have a home of his own, not one above ground at least. The copy ninja was more unsettled by the sight, he had called the trusty walls his for so long, it seemed strange to see them broken and disfigured.  
"Of course. It couldn't be helped," Kakashi said not really paying attention to his words. The Sannin was never sentimental over bricks and structures, he had never allowed himself to be attached to a place nor to call it home. Home was where ever he was safe. It did not exist in one place under one roof. He leant against his lover and hugged his thinner form to him, he could only imagine what it felt like to miss the residence, after all he did not remember what it felt like for himself. Kakashi appreciated the comfort and wrapped an arm around him back before gently turning him around so their eyes could meet.  
"I'm going to scan for supplies," He said. "Why don't you find a place for us to take shelter in. I can sense rain tonight."

The serpent had sensed the wet weather coming as well, he nodded then leant up and kissed his partner lightly pulling his mask down. He moved off and allowed the copy ninja to disappear, the last thing the two could see being the blue evidence of chakara left behind as he leapt away. The two males left the house after, although with less speed as Saura could not keep up with ninja. Tsukiko was sniffing the village, staying close by but straying off every now and then. With his jutsu back the snake did not fear losing the dog. They dug around looking for a sturdy secure resting place. Eventually they ended up in the Hokage building, standing in the office where great leaders should have been residing. The stone faces looked at them, their facial features distorted, cracked and changed. It was almost as if they were frozen into an eternal grief. Distraught at what was left of the fire nation, their very expressions alluding to their disbelief and devastation.  
"Who are they?" Saura asked.  
"The Hokage," Orochimaru answered.  
"What are their names?" Saura asked curiosity wishing to gain a history of the village.  
"That is the First, Hashirama," Orochimaru began. "Then it's the Second Tobirama...that's the Third, Hiruzen." Saura picked up on the pause at the man's name. "The Fourth Minato and the Fifth Tsunade-Hime."

"A female," Saura acknowledged. Orochimaru glanced at him with a questioning stare.  
"What of it?" He asked.  
"We don't have female leaders," Saura admitted as if it were normal. The Sannin couldn't fathom that rule being possible. Female ninja were on equal terms as males. A man would be a fool to deem them incapable. There was no such thing as discrimination in the world of shinobi, and powerful ninja were ranked by ability and skill rather than gender.  
"Why not?" Orochimaru asked, it was clear the other man didn't entirely know. He changed the subject.  
"What's his name again, the Third. Did you know him?" Saura asked.  
"...He- was my mentor," Orochimaru said, he didn't want to say more. The mans very name left a bitter taste in his mouth. He rushed onwards to avoid saying anything else about him, "And that's my team mate, the Fifth, the Fourth is my other team mates student, while the Second is my teachers mentor, the First being his brother."  
Saura couldn't keep up with the relations and just nodded in acceptance. He looked at the eerie sculptures, it was a frightening display in its broken shape. They entered further into the village until finally they found a safe looking shelter. Upon further inspection the Sannin found that it had once belonged to the pink haired girl. The young kunoichi being one of the copy ninjas students.

He was sure that it would make the Jonin once again spiral into an uncomfortable set of memories.  
"This place is perfect," Saura decided.  
"No it won't do," Orochimaru replied going to the door, he was met by eyes of annoyance.  
"Why not? We have been walking for hours I'd like to rest," Saura said, "We can't be picky."  
"Trust me when I say we can't stay here," Orochimaru said, he wasn't getting in to an argument over a foundation.  
"I don't want to go on a wild hunt for no reason," Saura said again.  
"Then you stay here. I'll go and look for a better suited house," Orochimaru said, the NW sighed and followed him out. He didn't want to be alone when he had nothing more than a gun to protect himself, the brutal weapon suddenly seemingly insufficient. They walked on and found another building, it was not as perfect as Sakura's house had been, but it had no memories attached either. Saura gave the Sannin a look that screamed he didn't understand the point of down grading. There was only one bed in the house, other than that it had no furniture. The mattress itself was broken and the stuffing had long since blown out.  
"This place is shit," Saura said truthfully.  
"Glad you like it," Orochimaru retorted.  
They settled down and soon Kakashi found them, sensing his lovers chakara. Tsukiko was curled up on a loose piece of stuffing happily sleeping the days walk off. Kakashi and Orochimaru had no complaints sharing the floor beside him leaving Saura to the half busted bed. The two ninja spoke while the NW listened to the names he didn't understand. Orochimaru eventually offered the idea of heading to the Hidden Rock, which was close, and possibly one of the few villages that could remain hidden. The copy ninja agreed and they divided the night up. Orochimaru said he would be on guard first but the Jonin refused the idea. Claiming to be more than awake, the serpent was equally as awake but didn't feel up to arguing. He allowed himself to sleep beside the warmth of his partner.

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Orochimaru felt the copy ninja lightly shake him, his yellow eyes lit up in the dark as they opened and he sat up slightly. Kakashi muttered that they should wake up early again and the Sannin nodded. He sat beside the copy ninja running his hand through his white hair as he slept. It was cold and he could hear the sound of rain pelting down on the roof. At least its old frame work had held fast, the water running off the roof far from their cold bodies. Orochimaru let the sound of rain drown out his thoughts as he aimlessly messed with the other mans hair. He and always been fond of the copy ninja upturned white hair, seemingly defying gravity in its positioning. When it slunk downwards, be it due to it being wet or simply because the Sannin had messed with it the serpent could not stifle a laugh. He forced himself to be quiet and to admire his partner silently when he shifted in his sleep. Orochimaru threw his eyes to the door, he could sense someone. The chakara was familiar and yet he could not pin point who it belonged too. He slipped away from his partner and the dog making sure not to wake them. He summoned a small serpent and left it behind. He would check out the danger and then bother to wake them be it worth it.

His serpent would remain behind to be an alarm in case the need arose for the Sannin to wake them up before he reached them again. He exited the broken house and sighed as the rain trickled over him, he pulled the hood of his coat over his head and the fabric clung to his slim body as he was pelted by rain. Soon enough he was gaining on the figure in the distance. Whoever it was had not noticed him yet, as the snake summoner was doing his best to hide his chakara. Since he had lived most of his life in hiding he had perfected the art, and the rain only helped him stay cloaked. He drew closer to the figure, Kusangi in his hand as his fingers clasped tightly around the hilt. He hid behind a wall as he got closer, the man was hooded as well, most likely due to the rain rather than to hide his identity. Since it was obvious he was alone and a ninja the Sannin moved in. He appeared beside the man and slashed his sword towards his throat. He would not kill him, but he would hold him up at the edge of his sword to ensure he was not a threat. The man moved swiftly out the way and drew his own blade countering the attack. The swords made sharp piercing noises as they stayed on top of one another, their metallic bodies grinding together. Orochimaru looked into the other mans face, the rain made it impossible to pick up on his facial features beneath the hood.

The other ninja saw who the Sannin was instantly however, the snakes golden eyes bright even beneath the hood and through the rain.  
"Orochimaru," He said stoically. The voice was what gave his identity away, making the Sannin pull his blade off the others now cracked sword. Kusangi could cut through anything, since he knew the person in front of him he opted to rather leave what was left of his sword alone.  
"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru replied, a small smile gracing his face as he took a step back.  
"So you escaped," Sasuke said, he had heard what had happened from Deidara and Asuma.  
"I did. What of you? Were you ever captured?" He asked, he knew the Uchiha was not in the village during the attack, but that did not mean he was safe from captivity.  
"I have never been inside the dome," Sasuke admitted coldly, he sheathed his sword. "Are you alone?"  
"Are you?" Orochimaru asked, he was unsure if he could trust the man. Sasuke watched him but the Sannin could not see his eyes. They flashed a brilliant red and snake summoner narrowed his own unnatural orbs. The threat of the Sharigan was unnecessary. He was unsure of the point the Uchiha was making.  
"Yes," Sasuke said, he awaited for his own question to be answered.  
They had lived together for almost four years, they knew one another well enough due to the time spent and neither one feared the other. Sasuke knew the man was not as frightening in person as people thought, not as impulsive as others may think. He was not uncomfortable in the snakes presence.

If anything, he thought the serpent should be uncomfortable in the hawks clutches. Lying would do his team no good, so he decided to answer honestly.  
"No I am not," Orochimaru answered vaguely.  
"You're with Kakashi," Sasuke guessed, he had heard of them being an item. He was not sure he believed love ran both ways however.  
"And another as well," Orochimaru said, he would not tell the man he was with an NW. That may had led him to think he was a traitor.  
"I want to talk to Kakashi. Where is he?" Sasuke said, he obviously knew the Sannin was better at avoiding questions and lying. He wanted to speak to someone who would be honest and who would openly give the man the information he wanted. Orochimaru knew the copy ninja would fall in to the trap, he would answer the Uchiha's questions without getting any of his own answered. The serpent wouldn't allow that.  
"Not before we clear a few things up. You know more than you are saying," Orochimaru said. "Why are you here?"  
Sasuke narrowed his red eyes, he would not listen to the others orders, he never had and he never planned to. Be it for his own pride, or be it to merely shatter the others pride.  
"I'll only ask you to take me to him once," Sasuke said, "after that you're more useful to me dead than alive."

Orochimaru hissed, he would certainly not allow the other to lead him through threats. Sasuke was a formidable opponent, but the serpent had taught him all he knew. He would not tolerate that knowledge being thrown back in his face as he had done to his own teacher. Once again they engaged with one another, the Uchiha somehow convinced the serpent would back down. Orochimaru decided he would sooner roll around in his own blood than give him such satisfaction. There was a growl and then the Uchiha turned from the snake to a blur on the floor. That said blur snarled and lunged but it was not trained in the art of battle and its attacks where too honest. The Uchiha reacted against the animal and slashed at it with its blade. The dark blur whimpered and cried out as metal slipped through its skin, red blood blending in to the rain. Orochimaru backed off for a moment wondering what attacked the Uchiha, it then dawned on him when Sasuke readied his blade to finish off the animal lying on its side snapping upwards.  
"Stop!" He said, but he knew the Uchiha would not as blue circuited around his blade slicing the rain with its light. The Sannin appeared beside the Uchiha just in time to counter the next attack, the sharp blade of Kusangi almost sliced through the others sword so Orochimaru turned it on its side so that the flat face of the blade was merely blocking the sword from moving. Lightning moved from one piece of metal to the next and Orochimaru cried out as it hit him. He stumbled back and the Uchiha moved his blade to his side wondering why the man had leapt in the way. Tsukiko whimpered, blood still falling from a deep gash in his leg.

It was bleeding profusely, the wound most likely cut to the bone. Orochimaru did not think Sasuke would attack him while his back was turned, the Uchiha watched him questioningly.  
"It's a stray," Sasuke stated.  
"No he isn't," Orochimaru hissed, he had no way of healing the dog, he had never learnt the art. He tried to use what basic ability he had but it did nothing but calm the dog down, numbing some of the pain. He decided that was all he could do so he summoned a serpent which bit the dog, it's fangs were needle sharp and thin meaning Tsukiko could not feel the penetration. The serpent injected poison into the canine to make him completely unable to feel, successfully numbing him to the point where he was half falling asleep.  
"Is he Kakashi's?" Sasuke asked trying to work it out. The Sannin was not the type to get attached to anything, let alone something with no use.  
"Don't move," Orochimaru spoke softly to the dog, trying to get it to understand that it could not get up despite the pain being gone momentarily. Golden eyes snapped to the Uchiha. "You did this you careless bastard. Don't you have any bandages on you?"  
"No," Sasuke said bluntly. He was surprised that the male was angry, he didn't know how to take it.  
"Then go to the hospital, you lived here once you should find it quickly. Go get supplies," Orochimaru ordered, Sasuke didn't take orders and he stuck to that principle.

"No one else is here. You can go look for the supplies yourself, I'm going to find Kakashi," Sasuke stated, he looked at the dog, who still had his teeth showing when the Uchiha met eyes with him. Tsukiko tried to get to his feet, he could sense the man was not on the serpents side. He was no ninja dog however, and he had no tact in his advances, it was only natural he would be slaughtered on the spot during a battle. Orochimaru hissed, he didn't bother try convince the man otherwise, he would watch his dog bleed to death if he tried to change his mind. Acting quickly the Sannin made a shadow clone of himself, the clone darted in to the village and was gone from sight. Sasuke turned away at the same time to venture further in to the village, Kakashi would make a good ally for the army. If he had his way, he would convince Kakashi to abandon the Sannin, he thought him nothing more than trouble. A snake in the grass waiting to strike when everyone least expected it to further his own goals. Orochimaru watched as the Uchiha went the wrong way, he was heading far from the copy ninja. However the village was broken and small now, it would take very little time to locate him. Orochimaru communicated to his serpent which he had left behind and the summoning slipped over to awaken the copy ninja. It could not speak English, but it did not have to. The message was clear, someone was coming and the Sannin had gone to check it out. Kakashi got to his feet and walked to Saura, he roughly shoved the man up and he leapt to his feet. He didn't know if there was danger nearby or if Kakashi was the danger.

The copy ninja darted in to the heavy rain and Saura looked at him irritably, he didn't know who would willingly go into the down pour. They ran down the streets, the NW struggling to keep up until the other ninja was lost to his eyes. He figured he would keep heading straight but ended up diverting. Kakashi did not look back at him and soon the two of them were split up. The copy ninja sensed his lovers chakara and made a direct cut across the village to him. He was kneeling down beside something, the rain made it hard to see. The Jonin crossed the last few steps between them and knelt beside him to find the dog panting and breathing in laboured breaths. His tail wagged when he saw the copy ninja as he was trying to remain friendly. Blood mingled in the puddles and seeped down the street they knelt in, it ran in to the two ninjas long hanging cloaks staining the fabric in a darkened red.  
"What happened to him?" Kakashi asked as his lover tried to stop the bleeding, holding the end of his cloak close to the wound to stop the profuse blood from spilling.  
"Sasuke is here," Orochimaru hissed. "He is looking for you, I don't know what he wants-tell him nothing."  
"How did he know I was here?" Kakashi asked glancing behind him to make sure the Uchiha did not sneak up on them.  
"He didn't. I don't know why he came here originally, but now that he knows you are here he wishes to speak to you," Orochimaru said his voice distracted by the dog still.

Another ninja approached and Kakashi turned on him only to find it was a clone of his lover. He had something in his hands and he knelt down to the original Sannin handing him equipment which could be of use. Orochimaru removed the cloak and worked on the wound with the provided materials, the dog didn't squirm as he should have, making the copy ninja wonder if he was not numbed somehow.  
"I should go look for Sasuke," Kakashi said. "I'll help you move him out of the rain first."  
"Leave Sasuke," Orochimaru said. "Where is Saura?"  
"Catching up," Kakashi lied. He did not know where the NW had ended up when they split up, or more so when the Jonin abandoned him deeper in the village. The serpent picked up on the fact being untrue and let his golden eyes fall to Kakashi temporarily. The copy ninja did not meet his gaze forcing the snake to speak his disapproval.  
"Sasuke will kill him if he finds him first," Orochimaru warned. The other knew very well that his lover was most likely right. It wasn't the worst case scenario, the copy ninja did not much care about the NW males fate. Orochimaru evidently did as he gestured for the Jonin to move off.  
"Go find him," Orochimaru said.  
Tsukiko whimpered and instantly the Sannins attention was devoted to the canine, the dog still felt no pain but he used the moment to get attention.

Kakashi got to his feet and sensed for Saura, he could not locate him but he could locate Sasuke and opted to head there. The Uchiha was no longer in the walls of Konoha. He was just past them. It meant he was in Yunaiteddo. After the last NW war, the surviving ninja and some citizens of the technological world had come to form one village. However it did not remain as peaceful when cultures clashed, so the villages divided again. Cloud returned to their island, Mist to their forest, Sand to their desert and so on. Konoha remained the binding nation, still keeping Yunaiteddo. It was thus the biggest and most powerful nation, and many other ninja joined it regardless of their own homes haven been rebuilt. It was a growing space for change and power and so Konoha lost its sway. Much like the Uchiha clan had a small isolated section outside Konoha, Konoha had a small isolated section in Yunaiteddo. It was why the NW army hit Yunaiteddo first. They were the ones responsible for ending the large city which had first captured the ninja. Sasuke was currently in Yunaiteddo, leaving the Konoha streets behind. Saura did not have strong enough chakara to sense and so it blended with the rain and the animals nearby. Kakashi continued his fast paced journey, racing to the borders he stealthily climbed up a wall and entered the streets of Yunaiteddo before landing soundlessly and heading deeper towards the Uchiha.

Sasuke had stopped walking, he was waiting for the other ninja to catch up and it only took seconds for him to do so. The younger man looked at his old teacher his eyes still held captivated by the red colouring marked by black.  
"I heard you were looking for me," Kakashi said.  
"I was," Sasuke answered. "How did you escape the dome?"  
"We had help," Kakashi said. "You attacked Orochimaru. He is with me, so next time you think about attacking him remember that it is still an indirect affront to me. Next time I will stand against you."  
Sasuke didn't bother stifle a laugh as he threw his head back slightly, he settled himself and a small smile was still tracing his lips. He didn't seem to take it as a threat.  
"So I have heard," Sasuke said. "I wouldn't use threats to spare your new love Kakashi. It only shows where your weaknesses are."  
"He isn't a weakness," Kakashi said, "he is capable of defending himself. It was a friendly warning, not a threat."  
"Kakashi," a familiar voice called, the ninja both turned to look at Saura approach. Sasuke raised his blade.  
"Is this your help? An NW?" He asked impassively.  
"He helped us," Kakashi said, he could see Sasuke would not accept him if he knew he were not a ninja. "But he is a ninja not an NW."

Saura heard what Kakashi had said, and he certainly saw the large katana clasped in the other mans hand. He was cautious to get closer, he would certainly fake being a shinobi if it was what would appease the strong looking fighter.  
"I'm not an NW," Saura confirmed, using the ninjas name for his people to make it more convincing.  
"How did you help them escape?" Sasuke asked with untrusting eyes, his sword lowered slightly.  
"I had connections and they helped us," Saura lied. "I have a lot of information on the people of the city. I can tell you all about them- if you can tell us where more ninja reside."  
Kakashi looked at him, he doubted the loner Uchiha had any idea where they could start looking for the others. He was surprised when Sasuke took the man up on the offer. Saura was looking over at the copy ninja with a smug smile, as if he truly felt he had done something so amazing. It made the Jonin grind his teeth in an attempt to hold his tongue.  
"I'll take you to the army," Sasuke said almost too honestly, then again the Uchiha never played games, they said what they meant and they did what they wanted. They were a direct clan. "You must tell the Riakage all you know of the NW city. Any information is useful."  
"The Riakage?" Kakashi asked. "So it is hidden in Cloud?"  
"They are the only ones who were not found," Sasuke said. "It's vital we keep it that way. If an NW follows us we have to diverge completely."  
"Of course," Saura agreed. Whether he simply wanted to say what the ninja wanted to hear, or whether he genuinely agreed with him was unknown. Either way the copy ninja was still watching the man carefully.

"Cloud is hidden," Sasuke said, "so I'll take you there myself. If I do not escort you they will attack your team the moment they see you."  
"We appreciate the help," Saura said pushing luck with being too friendly. Sasuke could almost sense the difference in him. He didn't buy the bluff any longer the more he spent time the man, ninja and NW citizens had a manner about them which differed.  
"You don't look like a ninja," Sasuke said.  
"Ninja do not have a look about them," Saura said as he pretended to be wiser than he was, he then allowed blue chakara to flare around him. "See for yourself though. I am a shinobi like you."  
The Uchiha could not argue with the evidence presented. No NW had ever been able to show case chakara, and even if the strain was obviously weak, it was still something Sasuke deemed the city men incapable of. He nodded in apology and then gestured for them to follow.  
"Not without Orochimaru," Kakashi said when he realized they were simply leaving the borders of Yunaiteddo.  
"He can catch up," Sasuke said.  
"You wounded his dog. He will need help bringing him with." Kakashi said.

The Uchiha looked tentative to stop, he didn't want to waste time on the Sannin. He did not trust him, and although he knew the snake was not one to strike in sensitive times such as war, he did not put it past him. Orochimaru had never struck fear in the youngest clan survivor, training under him only diminished that fear more when he saw that the serpent truly was rather ordinary. In a weird way perhaps, but he was no monster. Saura did not want to leave Orochimaru behind either however so the ninja was forced to simply follow them back to the place he had last left the Sannin.  
They reached him under a sheltered roof, a large white serpent standing beside them, it was trying to help the dog to move. Tsukiko wasn't walking properly at all, he could not function his hurt leg at all. The summoned serpent coiled around him to help him balance as the summoner commanded it to. Tsukiko was trusting of the male and so he was trusting of the snake, but it did him no good when the snake moved off and he fell his legs unstable. The three men arrived by the angered Sannin.  
"You severed his nerves and tendons. He will never use that leg again," Orochimaru said when the Uchiha came in to view.  
"He has three legs. He can walk," Sasuke commented.  
"Your blade did not only hit his one leg. It hit his hind and front leg," Orochimaru replied dryly. "His front leg will heal, his hind leg will not. Either way, he can't walk on two legs, especially since they are both on his left side."

"I'll carry him," Kakashi said.  
"To where?" Orochimaru asked his voice slightly hopeless.  
"To Cloud," Sasuke interrupted.  
"I'm guessing that is where the other shinobi are," Orochimaru mused. "He isn't light. That is a far walk."  
"Then leave him behind," Sasuke offered.  
"Put him out of his misery," Saura agreed.  
"He isn't in pain," Orochimaru said. "It's not a mercy shot if he wants to live and is fully capable of doing so."  
"I'll carry him," Kakashi concluded. The dog was by no means light, but the copy ninja knew his lover would not follow if they did not get to Cloud. The sound of wings entered the skies as the team looked to see a large hawk standing by the Uchiha. He gestured for the Jonin to place the dog on its back and he did so, Orochimaru hopped on beside him, Tsukiko would never be able to balance on the slanted birds back, but the Sannin could use his chakara to hold them both. The other three men walked while the hawk glided above them, it at first had to go above the trees but as they entered a valley it could stay nearer. Orochimaru did not like the movement or the hawk but he refused to complain, it would sound weak, Tsukiko didn't seem troubled and his tongue hung out his mouth as he enjoyed the new smells.

Saura did his best to not complain but the rain and the wind created by the birds wings made it a hard journey. He did not have the stamina of true shinobi. The Sannin noticed it, early on he had heard Saura refer to himself as ninja, and the serpent had gathered he was lying. It was for the best, he doubted any other ninja would accept an NW.  
"Would you like to join me up here?" Orochimaru offered, he didn't know if Saura would be able to hold himself to the odd moving ride with his weak chakara. However if he could not the Sannin knew he could share his own chakara with him to secure his unaccustomed body. Either way he could underplay the man's lack of stamina by passing it off as him simply joining the Sannin on the large hawk. Saura took his gap and nodded, so the bird landed with a loud caw, it's large talons digging in to the ground creating large holes. Trying to be as natural as possible the snake summoner offered the other man a hand up but to his surprise Saura used the chakara he had learned to control from the two ninja instead. It was badly done, but it was done, he half jumped half fell on to the bird as he used chakara to propel himself. It looked clumsy, but at least it was the way a normal ninja would go about it. The hawk chirped in displeasure at the rude mounting tactic.

They carried on across the valley, the rain was only kept at bay by the ninjas waterproof cloaks, Sasuke wearing his own dark blue one. They neared the shore and Orochimaru realized he had saved the mans bluff. If he had been on the ground Sasuke would have expected him to walk across the water. Thankfully he did not have to now that he sat on the hawk.  
It took them longer than the Sannin would have thought to cross the ocean. When they were rather far across he looked around trying to see where the massive island was. Saura was amazed as they moved across the sea. He had never been able to see nature so close up, he almost did not believe it possible. The hawk kept slightly higher up to avoid getting wet, its large feathers not meant for such things. The water moved unnaturally in an area and the ninja soon realized the island was cast in genjutsu, hidden from the naked eye. The hawk landed on the turtle and then left the two males and the dog just outside the village. Cloud Jonin came to greet them, they seemed relieved to see Sasuke return.  
"Glad you made it back safely," the one said.  
"And with three more ninja," the other added.  
"It's an honour to have you both Kakashi-sama, Orochimaru-sama," the first Jonin said respectfully, the other Jonin was happy with the copy ninja but obviously not as keen on the Sannin being around. He would not offer respect to the stronger shinobi, he did not meet his golden eyes either however. He feared he may be turned to stone just by meeting them. Many rumours of him being a devil had been passed around, the snake turned a deaf ear to them when he could. It wasn't long until they were escorted to the rest of the village. Since the ninja were tired and soaked, they were first given a place to stay and rest for an hour, but it was clear the Riakage was waiting for them. While Saura and Kakashi rested the Sannin ran off to get Tsukiko a healer. They planned to meet at the Riakage's office.

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Kakashi waited worriedly when it was time to meet the Cloud leader. They had agreed to meet there and it was already ten minutes past the set time. Orochimaru was not present, whether he was still with Tsukiko was unknown. The Riakage was a good leader, but he was a powerful one and he would likely not tolerate rudeness such a being late. Especially when the ninja had a reputation such as Orochimaru. It may be seen as rude, as a clear indication that he did not accept the others laws and rules, their regulations and what was expected of him. The last thing the out of place ninja needed was an event to show case his differences. Asuma greeted them first, when his eyes fell to Saura his anger was clear. Instead of loudly announcing something which could have led them down a terrible road the man pulled Kakashi aside.  
"What is he doing here?" Asuma asked in a hushed voice.  
"He got us out the city," Kakashi replied.  
"He also got you caught," Asuma reminded the man.  
"He regrets that now apparently," Kakashi said. "He says he wants to be a ninja, he doesn't like the city either. He could be a valuable ally, he knows them inside out."  
"The Riakage will kill you if he finds out he is an NW," Asuma warned.  
"He isn't going to find out," Kakashi said. "Saura is pretending to be a ninja. Orochimaru and I have taught him the very basics, we should get away with it."

"Fuck man Kakashi," Asuma snapped.  
"What? Isn't it better than disposing of valuable information?" Kakashi asked. He didn't like the man either, but he saw the value in inside information and refused to believe the other man couldn't. It wasn't too much of a risk, one gun was useless aimed at hundreds of ninja.  
"You must always bring in dangers," Asuma muttered. Kakashi glared at him, the other danger he was referring to was the Sannin. It was not a comment he appreciated hearing.  
"War is dangerous Asuma," Kakashi stated.  
"There is never a reason to increase that risk for no reason though," Asuma said his eyes angered.  
"You never used to be like this," Kakashi said. "You knew what being a ninja meant. You knew that we had to take chances and risks."  
"It's no longer my fate those risks harm," Asuma said, "I found Kurenai Kakashi."  
"She too is a ninja," Kakashi reminded, she would never back away from a challenge.  
"She is pregnant," Asuma said.

The copy ninja fell silent. It made sense now, the man's irrational worries, his snappy comments. He was worried for their child, he had gone in to a paternal frenzy, he was acting not out of his own fears but out of the fears for his child. A vulnerable creature unable to choose what happened to it or around it. It made sense now.  
"I didn't know," Kakashi said. He felt stupid for saying it, of course he did not know.  
"Well now you do," Asuma said. "Just promise me this will not endanger them."  
"All right," Kakashi said. "I promise."  
They walked back to the lobby, still no sight of the Sannin. They were lead to the Cloud leader who greeted them both seriously. He eyed the NW suspiciously trying to figure out what village he belonged to. He had no traits of any village and so the man shifted his eyes away remembering his manners.  
He explained what was happening in the army, and he asked many questions. Sasuke stood in the office as well listening in to everything that was said. It had been half an hour and still the snake was not there. The Riakage asked about him but the ninja had nothing to say on the topic. They truly did not know.

Saura did not hold back, he explained in great detail all the things he knew. It was obvious there was more he could say however and Asuma and Kakashi were shocked at his level of knowledge. He didn't have time to elaborate but he briefed them on the NW city's functioning systems, their laws, their attack styles. The many machines, the ideologies. Anything that could aid them in the fight. Since Saura was close to Satoru, he had information most NWs would not have access too. It was clear the Cloud leader was greatly impressed by the mans knowledge, Saura went from looked down upon to highly valued within mere minutes.  
"You should discuss more of this with our strategists. Asuma works with them, he can show you how we operate and you will make a valuable ally," the Riakage said. He didn't need to boost the mans ego anymore but he did, and the copy ninja rolled his eyes making sure nobody noticed.  
"I suppose I should help with the forces?" Kakashi asked, his ability in battle was almost flawless. Naturally he would be a great ally, he was famous for his fighting, there were very few ninja who could spar on level with him. The number of ninja who could beat him was even fewer, if they existed at all.  
"Of course," the Riakage said. "We couldn't ask for better support than you. I noticed Orochimaru is not here, is he injured?"

"An ally of his is," Saura answered. "I think he was making sure everything was going smoothly with his healing before he came through. Is there anything you wish to tell him?"  
"I would like to speak to him personally," the Riakage said, he didn't seem too offended with the prospect, although Kakashi wondered if he may change his view on that when he found out the ally was a stray dog. The door burst open and the Sannin gracefully swooped in, his long jet black hair swishing in after before falling perfectly around his feminine face. He dipped his head out of respect as he greeted the Riakage then apologized for being late. Kakashi could see fresh wounds on the males arms, the cloak he was wearing flapping open, exposing some of his flesh. It made the copy ninja narrow his eyes, he hoped the rogue had not managed to get himself in to a fight.  
"Speak of the devil," the Cloud leader said back, he was serious but good natured all the same. "We were just talking about you."  
"Well I hope only good things were being said," Orochimaru said smiling politely. He had a manner about him that the copy ninja knew well. Someone had pissed him off, and he was subsiding that anger by compensating with politeness.

"There are only good things to say about you my dear," Saura said his eyes landing on the pale ninja, Orochimaru glanced over at him, he didn't know where the mans new found confidence came from. He didn't know the Riakage had boosted his value and inadvertently boosted his arrogance. Kakashi refrained from punching the man.  
"You wanted to see him personally," Kakashi redirected the conversation.  
"I did," the Riakage said more focused now on the work ahead. "From what I've heard you're a master in poisons, and you could run many laboratories all on your own."  
Orochimaru noticed that his past illegal activities were evidently of use to the village, due to this fact the man avoided mentioning his laboratories had been places of criminal activity.  
"I'm well versed in poison," Orochimaru said, "and I am no stranger to science either."  
He was putting it mildly. There was no one more proficient in the subject than he was, the master of learning all there was to the world. He kept track of any small detail growing his collection of knowledge infinitely.  
"My researchers have discovered that the lock the NWs have on our chakara is formed with a poison. We could stop our men from being affected by their devices as a whole if we could cure this," the Riakage said directly. The Sannin had known this, he had constantly wondered how he would make himself immune to all devices, no matter what they typed in to the machines. Something which would mean their chakara could not be influenced by the chemicals the NWs had relied on for years.

Stopping the city from using their technology was one thing, but managing to stop its effects would be an end game scenario. They would be holding empty guns.  
"I've done my research on the subject," Orochimaru said, he knew the truth however, they needed to test the cure on actual ninja. He doubted the Cloud leader would give him such permission, and due to that he doubted it would be possible. He surely would manage, he had done greater feats all alone, but time was too precious during war. Ninja were not going to last if he did things the long way.  
"Then you wouldn't mind helping my men in the labs," the Riakage said, he didn't sound amused when he added, "they need someone... experienced."  
It sounded as if the scientists had no clue what they were doing with the way the man worded it. His tone indicating that his patience was up with their lack of progress. Orochimaru nodded, he had no issues going in to help at the labs, although he preferred fighting, his reasoning for delving in to science in the first place linked to his hobby of creating jutsu.  
"I'd be happy to assist," Orochimaru said.  
"Sasuke, show Kakashi where the barracks are," the Riakage said. "Asuma, take Saura to the intel unit. I'll take you to our labs."

Kakashi had wanted to speak to the Sannin but he decided he may as well first get the tour of the place he would be spending much of his day. He watched as Saura eagerly left with Asuma. Orochimaru evidently wanted to speak to Kakashi as well but had evidently come to the same conclusion of waiting. He almost ran in to Asuma as they both made for the door. They passed stares at one another, and it was everything but civil. If looks could kill the floor would have been a bloody mess. The Cloud leader had exited first and did not see the tension, he gestured for the smaller ninja to take the left turn with him and they entered the rain. Orochimaru drew his cloaks hood over his head as he entered the horrid weather, he noticed the Riakage did not bother take precautions against the water. They walked down the streets of the village and men and women alike greeted their leader with utter respect and devotion. Some had the same attitude towards the Sannin, others met eyes with him and skittered away fearfully while majority might as well have spat on him. The Cloud leader tried not to notice the ruder gestures of his people, despite it being painfully obvious. He had something he wanted to say, the serpent could tell. Since he was hesitant at saying it, the snake guessed it would be offensive or controversial.

Finally he spoke up as the rain made it harder to hear and impossible to properly see, they got to one of the labs but they did not enter. Not before the leader spoke.  
"I'm trusting you with my men," the Riakage said. "However if they are in any danger, and believe me they will tell me if you try anything, I will not ask questions. You're history may be forgiven during this war, but it is not forgotten. I don't enjoy having rogues in my streets. You are safe here for so long as you do not act in any way that causes alarm. Am I clear on that Sannin?"  
The first words that sprung to mind were sarcastic and dry, if the man had been thinking over his wording carefully he surely had done a poor job in being polite. The message had been delivered loud and clear, he was not welcome, he was needed, but he was certainly not welcome. Instead of hissing something more truthful the serpent bit his own tongue and nodded, his body language was polite but the burning intensity in his eyes told the leader that he did not appreciate the condescending attitude he was presented with.  
"I assure you I have no ill intentions," Orochimaru said, his voice was calm, dishonestly so. The man nodded and entered the laboratory behind them. More eyes locked on to them and not one was happy. They were evidently not going to be cooperative, if they could have chased him out they would have. He didn't care, if he could have left he would have done so too.

Authors note- thanks for the great reviews. I look forward to hearing from you again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. A huge special thanks to the always lovely Vampiredoll666! Stay so amazing!


	17. Into Our Hands

Orochimaru held the vile he had just created up to eye level so he could properly determine its measurements. He heard the man beside him mutter to his friend, thinking he was being quiet when in fact the serpent could hear every word that was uttered. And as it turned out every word was about just how much they detested his presence. He let his golden eyes fall away from the vile, he didn't flinch at their cutting words. Turning to the man who had just called him a _freak_ , he offered the vile to him.

"This should finish your formula," Orochimaru said, he kept everything professional. He didn't need their friendship, he simply needed their cooperation. As fake as they came the man smiled and nodded taking it off to be used. The other ninja in the laboratory were simply put useless. The serpent finished their work in less than half the time it may have taken them. He preferred working alone, they preferred to leave him alone. It made matters simple and he finished up the days duties before retrieving his cloak. The rain had not subsided in the three days the serpent had spent there. On his way to the door he heard the musings of another ninja, she whispered to her friend. _Monster_. Orochimaru donned his cloak as he progressed down the hall, it was a rather large laboratory and he worked well in its depths. He passed a Jonin who stood by as a guard, the man did not meet is eyes but murmured under his breath. _Devil_.

Carrying on down the hall the Sannin checked himself out with the small card he had around his neck. He had made great progress during his mere three days of residence. The Riakage was pleased with his every report and had dropped his cold attitude when he realized just how useful the missing-nin was. Kakashi had done wonders for the fighting unit during his time there, Saura also keeping up with being a fountain of knowledge. The three ninja had been invaluable and the Cloud leader never forgot to mention just how grateful he was for their presence. He was still completely unaware that they were in fact two ninja, two ninja and an NW. An enemy even. Orochimaru didn't break his schedule, after work he would make his way straight to the hospital, then after checking up on the wounded dog he would go home to the copy ninja and Saura. Kakashi had requested the NW get his own room but as it turned out there were few places available to stay at. Orochimaru didn't mind is presence. He had never asked Kakashi why he had attacked him in the forest, he presumed if the male wanted him to know he would have told him. Although the serpent usually let his curiosity get the best of him he tried his best to never allow his bad traits to get in between in their relationship.

As he rounded the next corner he almost bumped in to another ninja wearing a white coat, he half startled half snarled at the serpent. Orochimaru smiled politely and apologized.

"It's fine," the man said. Once again he thought the snake deaf when he said something under his breath. _Snake_. They then rounded the corner and lost sight of one another. The sound of rain entered the hall as he got closer to the exit, he ran his hand through his hair to guide it out of his eyes. He placed one slim hand on the door frame, it was cold and the sensation instantly met him, somehow going right through the supposedly thick winter cloak. The guard at the door eyed him wearily, they always felt unnerved when he stopped to think. Almost as if he was always conjuring up dark sinister plans, or possibly that the only things that ran through his mind were evil and poisonous.

"Afternoon," Orochimaru greeted as he passed the man he walked past every day on his way home. The man may as well have told him to _fuck off_ with the angered expression he was always met with. The Sannin didn't need a polite greeting back, he was upholding his own manners, the other could act savagely on his emotions if wished it. The rain pelted down impatiently, almost threatening the ninja. There were few people out in the stormy weather, which was pleasant as it meant there were few ninja to scorn his existence. Not all did, some greeted him as a powerful figure, some still respected him merely for being a Sannin, a ninja of legend.

A woman flashed a friendly smile as they met eyes while she closed her window, the shop closing. Orochimaru motioned a greeting passively, she seemed pleased with herself, pleased with being acknowledged by an elite shinobi. She turned to say something to someone behind her but was barrelled over by two children who looked shamelessly over at the Sannin. Although he didn't like attention, he supposed positive reactions were always more acceptable than negative ones. He halted when a man sped on to the wet streets to quickly. The serpents eyes narrowed when he saw three larger men hurtle after the half falling over panicked ninja. The man stopped dead to plead with the men chasing him, he was evidently exhausted form running already. Orochimaru was disappointed to see such lack of civility among the cloud people even in war times. He then thought himself foolish. He had been in many wars. It did not bring people closer, it caused greater gaps and chaos. It turned good natured men in to heartless fiends. Snakes spiralled from beneath the cloaked legends sleeves and wrapped their large bodies around the approaching men. The muffled startled screams as they realized they had run in to the wrong shinobi. Rain beat down around them as their own begs entered the skies.

"We weren't coming at you Orochimaru-sama," one man said trying to be rational. Orochimaru's slitted eyes locked on to him passively. It was an insult to his intelligence, of course he had known they would not ambush him, he could easily tell their next planned move.

"I will not tolerate you going at anyone," Orochimaru said calmly, the men nodded as if they would surrender their very souls if it meant being released. Seeing as they were in no way going to fight or target the man again the serpents coiled around them loosened their grip, and after a final warning hiss they dropped the thugs back on to the flooded streets. One yelped and ran for the corner street while the other tentatively glanced at the snake before following. The last man left had a look of fear, and also disgust. His hateful eyes may have been haunting to the Sannin if he had not met them so often. Hate was hard to accept, but the serpent was used to it. The man who had taken to hiding behind the ninja had mixed emotions too. In a way he looked grateful, relief clear on his now much calmer face, at the same time it was obvious he wished his hero was not a man related to such darkness.

"Thank you- Orochimaru-sama," he mumbled as he trotted away, the sound of the children form the window was lightly heard as well. The seemed in awe of the spectacle, they had watched the ninja of legends fend off thugs, they had watched him send three much larger men running with their tails between their legs. They did not see however the man depart with a look less than grateful on his face. They did not know he did not care for his saviour due to who he was, or more so who he thought he was. The woman came back to the window to escort the kids away, she had an amused smile on her face as she saw them start to wrestle with one another mimicking the display before them.

Then they were gone, but so was the Sannin, he had left as soon as the men had. He reached the hospital, shinobi did not have vets, they only had a place of healing. Any living creature would go there if they were a member of the village. Most animals had the intelligence of humans in the shinobi world, the medic ninjas had been shocked when Tsukiko had displayed no such intelligence. He was smart for a common dog, but that paled in relation to a ninja dog. Orochimaru entered the building, he could feel water running down his spine and he withheld a shiver, the rain coat had certainly done a poor job he mused.

"Tsukiko is walking again," the young male in the lobby said, he knew the serpent was there for the dog.

"Last I heard they had to amputate," Orochimaru stated, wondering how they had gotten him to stand when a mere day ago he could not even move the limb which burdened him.

"They have, but he has already decided he wishes to walk again," the male said confidently. Orochimaru thanked him for the update and made his way to the canines room. He hoped the dog would not get overly excited as he tended to when they reunited. Be it ten minutes or ten days, the dog would spin and bark in happiness. The serpent pushed the door open quietly as he slipped in to the room, he heard the happy yips of the animal and he turned to see Tsukiko standing, one leg replaced by a bandaged up stump. Regardless of his now rather mutilated look he did not seem to bare a chip on his shoulder. He didn't care how he looked, his appearance did not trouble him and no handicap would make him pity himself.

Crossing the last few steps to ensure the dog would not have to, the Sannin knelt beside him. The dogs large body thumped in to him, the tail ecstatically also doing a good job at pounding in to the serpent with every over enthusiastic wag. Orochimaru stroked the silky fur of the animal and then got to his feet, a medic entered and she greeted the serpent professionally. It wasn't clear on her view, she evidently did not particularly like nor dislike the Sannin.

"We have done all we can. His leg wounds have healed well, his hind leg however had to be removed," she said. "He can go home if you wish him to."

Naturally the serpent was more than happy to take the dog back to their residence, after all he didn't like the hospital and preferred not having to visit it. That, and also he wanted the hound back in the bed where he could keep his eyes on him.

"Is he allowed to walk around?" Orochimaru asked as he saw the dog figure out a new way to hop around.

"He may do what he wants now," she said. "We have healed all flesh wounds. He is as good as new."

Orochimaru nodded and called the dog over, he seemed to be making good progress and he was making quick work of finding a new way to walk. He hobbled over and clumsily fell in to a seated position. The Sannin rested a hand on his head.

"And is he in any pain?" He asked.

"None," She reassured him.

With that information the serpent led his hound across the hospital, he didn't want to force the creature in to the rain but sadly he had no other option. Tsukiko waved his tail then sniffed the cold wet air, his paws firmly planted under the over hanging roof. Feeling far too guilty getting the recently healed patient wet the Sannin reluctantly took his cloak off and draped it over the dog. Tsukiko didn't know what exactly was happening but he got excited from the strange change and shuffled on the spot licking the serpent as he secured the cloak. The ends now draped on the floor meaning they were soaked through, it didn't matter, it never touched the dog and now neither did the rain. Fully exposed the Sannin exited the shelter closely followed by his companion. He wouldn't use the word cold to describe the walk home, he'd preferably have compared it to Antarctica. His very bones started to hurt and he found himself crossing his arms over his chest in a foolish attempt to stay warm. His hair was drenched hanging close to his face and sticking to his clothes. He sneezed lightly, Tsukiko waved his tail under the cloak, the material shuffling strangely.

"I hope you're warm at least," Orochimaru muttered, the dog hadn't a clue what he said.

Eventually the Sannin considered sending serpents to call for Kakashi. He really was weak in the cold he realized, and he certainly wouldn't fend well for himself if he was forced to endure the harsher weathers. Heat never even slightly affected him, but he could never handle icy climates.

He was close enough to the residence so he pushed on raising a slim hand to his mouth as he coughed softly. He swore he was getting sick from the chill but he refused to admit it to himself, being sick was so humanly weak. He didn't like being weak. He didn't like the idea of being fragile and useless. The house came in to view, it was on top of another house so he eagerly trotted up the stairs as he got to it. He then realized the dog was having trouble with the staircase. Straight ground was simple enough with only three legs however anything else would prove a problem. Making a quick dash backwards the serpent tried to help the dog but he was heavier than the Sannin could support. Doing a few hand signs the black haired male summoned a large white serpent. He heard screams and looked behind him to see a startled group of ninja running off when they saw his summoning. He rolled his eyes, he would never randomly attack a group of men with one small serpent. If he chose to attack it would certainly be a better attempt. The snake coiled around the dog, he yipped a nervous sound but allowed it. They were by the door and the summoned reptile turned to smoke. Orochimaru opened the door and called out a greeting as he did so. He heard Kakashi walking towards him, he could tell the others footsteps by their casual demeanour.

When the Sannin looked up he met amused eyes, then after the serpent stifled a small cough they turned to concerned ones.

"I'm sure Tsukiko could have handled the cold," Kakashi said coming over to assist his lover. "At least he would have been better off than you."

"I'm not one leg short though," Orochimaru commented handing the cloak to the taller male, the copy ninja took it and moved it off. The Sannin watched his dog hobble to the couch, when the canine struggled to clamber up the serpent helped him. He felt someone place a hand on his waist and he startled.

"It's me," Kakashi chided. He drew his lover in once he had helped with the dog, he had worry written on his face as he felt the other male tremble from cold. "You need to get warm, you're going to catch a cold if you haven't already caught one."

It wasn't the words the Sannin had wanted to hear, but he supposed it was the words he needed to hear. He felt his partner guide him over to the shower, he had a habit of physically trying to help everyone. If he could not do it for you he would walk you over to the task.

"I think I can handle it," Orochimaru said smiling up at his worried lover.

Kakashi pecked his head lightly before going back inside to fetch the Sannin warmer clothes. Orochimaru leant over the sink draining his hair out from the rain, he met the copy ninjas eyes through the mirror and watched him place more suitable dry attire down. An ordinary kimono black in colouring lined with simple white patterns on the sleeves.

"Thank you love," Orochimaru called back to his lover when he shut the door. Kakashi entered the lounge again, Saura was still at the strategists office evidently, or so the copy ninja guessed. He wasn't home and no one had sent word of him. It was pleasant, the two ninja hadn't had a moment alone together. In the three days, after all the males had finished their duties the NW would request lessons as a shinobi. He hadn't gotten far in the three days, the serpent had more patience for the man. He didn't mind spending the cold evenings explaining simple trivial things with him. The sound of the shower trickled to life as Kakashi sat beside the dog. Tsukiko spun his large head around to lick fanatically at man next to him. He was a friendly dog, overly so. Running his hand over his damp fur he opted to dry him off with a towel. Thanks to the cloak he was barely wet but his fur still managed to hold the smell of wet dog. He draped the towel over the canine and rubbed it over his body to dry him further.

Once the dog was completely dry, a smug grin on his muzzle, the copy ninja threw the towel in to the wash basket. Now seated on the couch opposite the dog, he pulled his book off the side table and opened it up. The shower had clicked off moments before and soon the door opened, steam from the confined space seeping through in to the lounge. The kimono sleeves hung loosely at the slim ninjas side, a thin dark grey sash tying the waist line together. The Sannin crossed the distance and leant on the couch, the Jonin also wore a more comfortable attire, although his came in the form of a blue loose hanging long sleeve shirt and black pants. Underneath that shirt the copy ninja still wore his mask and undershirt. Orochimaru chuckled at the sight of his strange long running joke.

"Always with the mask my dear," he said leaning on the back rest of the couch. Kakashi threw his head to the side to look at the pale ninja, his golden eyes enchanting and rather mischievous.

"Keeps my element of mystery alive," Kakashi joked, although his voice did not give off the hint of it being humour. Orochimaru smiled and shook his head in good nature.

"I've seen under that mask Hatake," he laughed, "the element of surprise is gone."

"And yet it bothers you," Kakashi replied glancing back at the page of his book.

"What joys can you find rereading that... lovely piece of literature," Orochimaru said, wording his sentence politely. Kakashi smiled at the comment, he knew his lover thought the novel anything but lovely. It wasn't sarcastic, the Sannin knew the copy ninja would however work out that it wasn't his taste in story.

"It's entertaining," Kakashi replied as he watched his lover gracefully swoop around the couch to sit beside him. The copy ninja took one hand off the book to use it to draw the Sannin in.

"I'm sure we can think of things more entertaining than that," Orochimaru replied with an impish smile on his face. He then stifled a laugh when he saw the copy ninja make no effort to protest abandoning his favourite book. Kakashi flipped their positioning around ending the Sannin up on his back. Orochimaru didn't complain as he looped his thin arms around his lovers neck to lift himself up slightly. He drew his partners mask down until it no longer covered his mouth or jaw. Kakashi leant down and captured the smaller ninjas lips as he felt the other lean upwards, his arms still around the others neck and shoulders to keep him in position. The two hadn't been alone for weeks, in fact for months. Kakashi had both hands on either side of the Sannins head, he eventually allowed one hand to trace his partners form, their mouths still captured by one another. They pulled away for air their faces still inches from one another. Bringing his hand back up to the serpents face he tilted the smaller males head to expose his neck. He lightly pecked the pale flesh the Sannin willingly moving aside to allow room.

Kakashi gently nipped his collar while he remained on top, slightly off the slim ninja making sure he did not crush the smaller form. Orochimaru had a small fanged smile as he allowed the other to do as he wished. His kimono was now slightly undone, the click of the door opening triggered a small moment of panic. Orochimaru heard it first and roughly shoved at his lover, Kakashi mistook it as playful and didn't notice it all the same.

"Kakashi," Orochimaru hissed.

"You'll never believe what happened today," the voice said, it was the sound that propelled the copy ninja to his feet awkwardly. Orochimaru sat up abruptly, tugging his kimono in to place and then swiftly running his hands through his hair to be more presentable. Saura entered the lounge hearing movement. He saw their slightly startled faces and paused for a moment, he then greeted the dog.

"Tsukiko got released," he said. "It's always good to be a whole house again."

"What happened today?" Orochimaru asked politely.

"Right, as I was saying. The Riakage offered me a higher position. I get sway in our advances, I didn't think I'd get such trust," Saura said happily as he went off to his room. "Naturally he still thinks I'm a ninja. I need to work on my jutsu, to keep the image alive. But perhaps we can do that tomorrow, we all have the day off apparently. To rest they said."

"Congratulations on your raise," Orochimaru said. "We can go train at one of the parks if the rain gets lighter."

"I knew you'd agree! Brilliant. I'm off to bed, we can start tomorrow morning then," he said as he disappeared in to his room, completely unaware of his interruption or their quick dash at becoming decent. When he was gone the two lovers glanced at one another before the snake summoner chuckled under his breath, the copy ninja joining his soft amusement. Orochimaru took the other mans hand and got to his feet leading him towards their shared room.

"Perhaps we should move this to a more private place," he said with a small grin still on his face. Kakashi did not argue as they slipped in to the comforts of their room, Tsukiko kicked in his dreams as he happily remained behind on the sofa. Orochimaru took one last glance at the dog and at the NWs room to ensure they would be left alone before closing his door behind them both.

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It had been several days since the ninja had first entered the Cloud village. They were edgy to get places but knew that they couldn't. Kakashi watched fighters train, there was no longer any point him joining them, he was far too advanced so he trained by himself. If another ninja requested his help he would give it to them, but as it stood he would have more luck in solitude. The rain beat down on the terrain still, but the ninja did not pay it attention as they fought one another, testing their own strengths. The copy ninja sensed the chakara of his lover and turned to see him trotting down the wet path. There must have been some reason for urgency if he was coming out in to the rain, his cloak was drawn around him but the Jonin new well it would never be enough to make the snake willing. Kakashi moved towards him, he was first worried, then he saw the happy smile across his lovers face, his eyes lit up in excitement. He had discovered something. The copy ninja knew it. He knew the mans expressions by heart during their time living with one another. He greeted the over eager ninja who half leapt in to him, stopping only because he tended not to display affection in front of eyes.

"What have you found?" Kakashi asked, knowing his guess would be right. Orochimaru seemed to muffle a laugh when he challenged the others stare.

"Must you ruin all my fun," he said back. "I think I may have found the cure."

"The cure? To the NWs hold?" Kakashi asked back, it had not been long, he was always proud of the males ability to get things done but even for him it was record time.

"It was simple, I had to find out what part of chakara was allowing them to interfere with our bodies," Orochimaru stated, he elaborated on the details and the copy ninja blinked back somewhat stupidly. He nodded in an attempt to keep up. "So I have the cure- or at least... I think I do. I need to test it on a ninja however. That's the only way to know if I've managed to make us all immune."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed at that, he was no fan of human experimentation. The Sannin did not take offense, he didn't mind his partners over cautious side. It was expected, and out of everyone he was the only person who never judged him on it. He merely objected if it were brought up. The Sannin decided to calm his worries.

"It's almost like a vaccination you see," he said. "It really can't damage the ninja I test it on. At worst there is no effect, and if there is an effect it will be so minor and I've already established how I will make sure it doesn't go anywhere dangerous. Whoever is tested on will be fine even if it fails. However if it doesn't fail we will be free from their hold."

"So we will become immune the same way we usually make ourselves immune to illnesses?" Kakashi asked.

"Precisely," Orochimaru said. "There are some major differences of course, but we can use the same formula."

"No one is going to be happy with you trying to conduct experiments, no matter how minor they may be, on humans," Kakashi said, the Sannin acknowledged that fact.

"I figured that much," he said. "Which is why I wanted to ask you for help."

For a mere moment the copy ninja wondered if his partner wanted him to be the guinea pig in the experiment, he was hesitant but then had a hard time figuring if he would be selfish to say no. The Sannin dispelled the idea when he said something even worse.

"I'll try it on myself," Orochimaru said.

"Don't do that!" Kakashi said panicked. Orochimaru looked at him shocked, he hadn't expected such resistance. He smiled warmly at his partner both touched and amused at his concern.

"Don't worry as I said it can't kill me," Orochimaru said. "I need you there though just in case, it's safer that way even if the risks are barely present. I'll also need you to use one of the machines to lock my chakara. If I can break free after my cure then it is safe to say it is functional, if not I need to do some correcting."

"How do you know it's safe?" Kakashi asked.

"Logically what I have done should not have a negative effect... of course I have no actual proof until I take it. But it shouldn't by all standards of logics." Orochimaru said. The other man was not convinced. He didn't like the idea of experimenting on his lover, it seemed to a have a rather dangerous edge.

"I've experimented on myself with much riskier things Kakashi," Orochimaru said. "And for much less to gain as well."

"That doesn't help me," Kakashi admitted.

"I can ask Deidara to help me if you aren't comfortable," Orochimaru said. He had met up with the blond the second day in the Cloud land. His blond friend had been as excited as Tsukiko had been. The entire day he refused to leave the serpents side, he was sent on a mission for the next few days but when he returned he had sworn the two would have to catch up. Orochimaru had been equally as happy to see his friend. He hadn't realized just how much the other worried about his wellbeing, he wasn't entirely used to it. Hidan and Kisame had been equally as warm with their greeting, it had boosted the Sannins morale for the time being. Even when the other ninja called him a freak or a monster, it didn't really matter when the old Akatsuki members were all too accepting and welcoming.

"No let me be there," Kakashi said. He didn't want to do it but he didn't want to not be there if it was going to happen anyway. The Sannin had assumed that was the case, he would have asked Deidara to begin with if he thought his lover would have preferred that option.

"When you are done with your training come and find me in the lab," Orochimaru said leaning up to kiss the taller man. Kakashi nodded and allowed his partner to skitter out the rain, dark purple chakara being left behind as he departed in to nothing.

Two ninja called to the Jonin and he hesitantly moved on to train with them as requested.

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Orochimaru fidgeted with the formulas on the counter he worked at, the cure he had was already neatly held in a small thin syringe waiting to be tested. He had promised he would wait for the copy ninja so he bit down his impatience and kept is eyes on the clock. Other ninja walked past in their white coats, making idle friendly chit chat, it was no wonder they got nowhere, they had such little motivation and focused so much more intensely on their own personal lives. It was war, it was the time the Sannin was the most productive. He had deadlines and he strove to finish way before them to make room for whatever came next. He often found himself taking on other ninjas incomplete work, or even at times redoing poorly done jobs. He felt someone draw up close beside him so he spun around expecting it to be Kakashi. It wasn't, Saura looked down at the Sannin with a rather confident smirk. He wore a Cloud headband, Orochimaru and Kakashi had refused them. They did not belong to the nation, they did not want to wear their badge of honour. Saura had never attained one and he desperately clung to the acceptance of the shinobi world.

The larger man leant one hand on the counter, still standing awfully close to the serpent, almost touching him with the proximity he chose. Orochimaru would have placed more distance between them but he didn't want to move closer to the more potent chemicals lined up by the counter. He let his golden eyes spring up to the man questioningly.

"Do you need something?" The Sannin asked passively.

"Can we talk outside?" Saura said.

"In the rain?" Orochimaru asked.

"It's just a bit of water," Saura said.

"I can't be long," Orochimaru warned. "I have work to do."

"Of course," Saura said.

They moved down the hall, the NW having much more energy than he had ever had back in the city. It was clearly a new and much needed start to a better a life. Orochimaru followed him in to the rain and then halted when the male tried to lead him around the back.

"Where on earth are we going Saura?" He asked, there was only dense forest behind the laboratory the large over hanging trees allowing great masses of water to cascade down.

"Just trust me, I have to show you something," Saura said, the serpent sighed and drew his cloak over his head again, the wind still desperately trying to blow it off. They ran below the trees until the NW stopped, something jutted out of the grounds.

"I was training in the forest," Saura said, "and when I got here I found something I didn't recognize. It looks like one of our drones... but it's coated in something."

Orochimaru came to stand by the man his curiosity intrigued. He spotted what the man was talking about, the small machine looked capable of flight but it had ruined its wings getting stuck in the low hanging roots digging their way out of the ground. Its red light flashed and died repeatedly, every time it looked as if it would give up trying to start but it never did. The drone was no bigger than the males hands. Saura tried to free it but he was quick to let go of it. The strangest part about the machine was the fact that it had a dark red seal snaked across it. Orochimaru placed a hand on the other mans arm to request he move over, it was no wonder he had no luck moving it, the seal was in place to ensure no one could get to it. Few ninja were capable of forming seals, and equal few were capable of breaking them. Sealing tags had been created due to the lack of natural ability, but the naturally made seals held strong and could not be taken a part by amateurs.

"Whoever sealed it evidently did not want anyone to get a hold of it," Orochimaru said. "Perhaps it has stored valuable information."

"Can any ninja undo the seal?" Saura asked hopefully.

"No," Orochimaru admitted, a fanged grin crossed his face as he looked at the man. "Few can undo a seal of this level, luckily I have mastered the art however."

"Can you undo it here?" Saura asked.

"I can yes," Orochimaru said. "I won't do it yet though, not many can make a seal of this level. I want to see if one of the specialists can figure out who created this one. If it's a ninja they have sided with the NWs, or else they are being forced. Either way it's good to know. If it isn't a ninja however... we are in more danger than we think, your people can not figure out our complicated techniques. If you copy it with your machines you can easily eradicate us. You have done it once, you mimicked the chakara attacks the Kyubi releases. They were substantially weaker but none the less it almost cost us our lives."

Saura did not pick up on the gravity of the situation. He had only picked up one the Sannins wording and he rejected the sentence.

"Not _my_ people," he snapped. Orochimaru looked at him, he didn't understand why the man would be so averse to his heritage. Even the Sannin knew they weren't all bad, and he had been accepted, he couldn't fathom someone throwing acceptance away. He had longed his entire young life for such a liberty and had never succeeded. Yet here this man stood fully capable of existing in both worlds comfortably, complaining about his blood ties. He rationalized before he spoke, if the man wanted to eradicate the bonds between his old home and him he may do so, the Sannin would never label anyone. They could all be what they wanted, it was the smallest mercy he could offer.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it in that way," Orochimaru said. "If you say you are ninja then you are. You wear the headband, you honour our codes. You are in every way one of us."

Saura didn't seem to take it well, he hadn't expected the humble apology. The Sannin was never one to back down, he wouldn't cave to people's pressures easily, the harder someone forced him the less wiling he became. He didn't know however that the male had no problems admitting his own flaws, and when he saw them he acted quickly to redeem it.

"We can't pick it up if we don't unseal it," Saura said.

"I can bring a specialist here," Orochimaru said.

"I don't want others to find it," Saura confessed. Orochimaru allowed him to finish with questioning eyes. "It may have been following us... what if everyone finds out I'm not a born ninja. If they know I'm lying they'll kill me. It is likely it had seen us or even followed us."

"Do these things track people Saura?" Orochimaru asked panic rising in his voice. "If they do then can the NWs not already locate us all?"

"This drone brings back recordings, it's the first I've seen so I don't think they know where we are," Saura said.

"We could easily have not seen it," Orochimaru said.

"You've cast this island in genjutsu. The drone won't pick you up, that's why it crashed in to the roots. It couldn't see the island itself," Saura said. It reassured the Sannin, but he wondered how many other drones had crash landed. If they managed to pull themselves free the army may find them.

"If you think it holds information dangerous to you I'll hide it," Orochimaru said, he knew what it was like to have darker secrets, he would help the man out for all the times he and done so with the serpent. "We won't know if this chakara is natural or not- but I suppose we will find out when we reach the city anyway."

Orochimaru undid the seal and it tried to repel him away defiantly. It was not as strong as the Sannins more potent chakara and soon dark black tinted by purple hues flared around the drone until the dark red was eaten away. The serpent then pulled the wedged machine out and looked it over, he had no idea how he would extract information so he handed it to Saura.

"It's your find," Orochimaru said. "Do what you want with it, let me know if you need help, but don't drag my name down with you if you're found out."

"I'll put it in my room back home," Saura said, he hadn't expected the Sannin to be quite so willing to help. He flashed grateful eyes, he expected he would need to convince or guilt trip him, there was no convincing needed. "Thank you."

"We all have our own lives to lead," Orochimaru said. "I have to get back to the lab, I'll see you at home. Hide it well."

With that the Sannin leapt back towards home darting through the trees as he hurried to where he guessed the copy ninja would already be waiting. He pulled up outside the laboratory at the same moment his lover did.

"Where were you," Kakashi asked surprised.

"I'll tell you later," Orochimaru said as guards looked over at them. The copy ninja did not argue as he followed his partner through the halls and to where the cure lay waiting. Orochimaru had packed it away when Saura requested him so he dug it out from its confinement. They took it and then the Sannin moved them to a private room where he shut the door.

"All right nothing should happen," Orochimaru said, he handed Kakashi a device on the desk in the room, the small office must have been given to the Sannin. "That will be able to lock my chakara. Click that button and enter this code to lock my chakara. If I am controlled by it my cure has failed, so you will have to release me and I will have to work on it. Click that button to undo the lock."

"Got it," Kakashi said as he mentally took notes of his task, he didn't like the idea of something so new being tested on his lover, he had no other choice however so he watched as the Sannin injected himself. After the predicated ten minutes the copy ninja typed in the code that was written on a small device the Sannin had placed on himself. It buzzed when the Jonin commanded it, a dark flare of chakara erupted around the Sannin then died.

"Can you use your chakara?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

It seemed as if he could not, the Sannin had a pause for thought but he tried it one more time. The device hummed and then fell silent, moments after chakara flared around the ninja strongly.

"Turn that dial over there," Orochimaru ordered. "It will increase the hold the device has on me. Turn it all the way."

Kakashi was hesitant, he obeyed and watched as the potent hue never once even flickered, it almost triumphantly radiated and glowed. Kakashi waited for the others approval before turning the now useless machine off.

"It's worked," Orochimaru said with a satisfied smile, his slitted eyes fell to his partners. Kakashi was still holding his breath hoping that nothing would come as a side effect. The Sannin appeared completely normal.

"I'll tell the Riakage in three days," Orochimaru said. "I must just make sure it is as safe as it seems."

"In other words if it doesn't kill you we will tell him," Kakashi said worriedly.

"Precisely," Orochimaru chuckled, he pecked his lover and placed the machine back in to its drawer. "Do you not realize what this means? The city has no way to control us. They have nothing to stop our attacks. We can sneak in there, all the shinobi can be safe from the cage they tried to keep us in."

"It's a big step to victory," Kakashi said, he hugged the smaller ninja to him and met his stare. "But I don't want to win this war alone. You've got to promise me you'll be careful, you've got to promise me you'll make it out alive."

"I promise," Orochimaru said with an amused smile. "I'm immortal. I can't die."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. He then playfully shoved the shorter male away keeping his movements light to ensure he didn't get hurt.

"Your arrogance will kill you before any bullet," he joked.

"I'm a realist my dear," Orochimaru said catching himself and then elegantly swooping to the door. "It's not arrogance."

Kakashi watched as the slim figured male exited the room his spirits high from his success. It was surely a good way to end his work shift. Kakashi followed him out, he couldn't help but be impressed with the Sannins work. His ability to succeed. His arrogance was perhaps deserved, there was little he could not do when he put his all in to it. He caught up to the Sannin and they walked home together the atmosphere hopeful and cheerful despite the opposite feeling weather. They got to the door and swung it open, the dog hobbled over and barked a greeting. He had as much spirit even one leg down and the Sannin appreciated it all the more. He threw his arms gently around the dog to greet it back then got to his feet and moved off to their room to change out the wet clothes. Kakashi took his cloak off and then entered the lounge. It was only moments later the door was knocked on. Tsukiko bellowed a warning, informing the newcomer that it was in fact their house and that the guest would have to watch himself. The three legged guardian stood by the door sniffing at it, he recognized the smell and waved his tail.

Orochimaru appeared by the wooden frame first and opened it without even asking who waited on the other side. Asuma met the Sannins eyes and the clear detest resurfaced, he then shoved his emotions away as best he could trying to be civil.

"Is Kakashi home?" Asuma asked still acting polite.

"He is in the lounge," Orochimaru said moving out the mans way. The larger man thanked him and entered he made for the lounge.

"Orochimaru what's this metal thing?" Kakashi asked, Orochimaru thought over his possessions unsure of what he meant. He then realized and noting Asuma heading over he trotted to be in the lead. The man stopped as the smaller male almost ran in to him. The serpent snatched the device from Kakashi and flashed him a warning glare. He then moved to Saura's room where he would make good on the others failure. Hiding the device was the NWs only job, the Sannin feared what Asuma may do if he found a secret drone in their possession. When he emerged out the room the suspicious eyes of the new arrival were locked on him.

"What was that?" Asuma asked.

"Something of Saura's," Orochimaru brushed it off.

"What was it exactly," Asuma said again.

"You know very well he isn't a ninja Asuma," Orochimaru said. "He brought a gun with him, and probably other things for when he thought we'd all be stuck in the forest."

"It looked like a drone," Asuma said well aware of what the things did thanks to Saura's elaborate explanations. Orochimaru knew well the man wouldn't keep quiet about it if he truly found out it was a drone. He would have no hang ups leaving the NW to the dogs even if he was in fact loyal. The Sannin refused to let him get in to trouble for the other males nosiness, he hadn't wanted to get involved but he knew well that Saura would be put to death. If they found out Kakashi and the serpent had known about it they may very well have the same fate.

"It wasn't a drone," Orochimaru said.

"Why would I believe you? Show it to me then," Asuma said.

"I already said it was just a harmless machine. The same one that took away our chakara restrictors when we were in the dome," Orochimaru lied. He said it convincingly, but it didn't matter, even he if he were speaking the truth the man would never believe him.

"Bullshit," Asuma said.

"It was," Kakashi said interrupting them. It was harder for the other Konoha ninja to argue with his friend. He had only known the man to honestly engage in a situation. He nodded in acceptance. He then looked at the Sannin again.

"I'd like to talk to him alone," Asuma said. The serpent didn't argue, he hardly wanted to be near the man. The house was small making it harder to give them space. Tsukiko was close at his side when he went to sit on the bed.

It became so infuriatingly boring he ended up sitting on the windowsill watching the rain run down the glass. Tsukiko mumbled in his sleep and kicked his legs, he had decided resting would pass the time and the bed was exactly the place he had opted to snuggle in to. Orochimaru passed a glance over at the dog then allowed his eyes to fall back to the repetitive motion of the water. His own reflection barely touched the glass as he rested his head lightly against the cold window. The wind howled dangerously and through the thick down pour he could lightly make out the figures of people scattering to head in doors. The sound of the lock clicking open made the dog startle awake as he barked a warning.

"It's me dog," Saura was heard saying. Orochimaru wondered why the man was entering his room. "I see you've been shunned. Bit rude of him to kick you out your own lounge."

"I assume he wanted to talk to Kakashi about something important," Orochimaru mused. "He won't say anything important by me, he doesn't trust me."

"He isn't saying anything important," Saura said. "They're catching up."

That slightly agitated the serpent, he didn't want to be locked in his room so the man could speak meaningless things. It wasn't as if the snake could turn anything so trivial against him. It was his house, it was his right to be where he wanted yet he found himself politely tucking himself away. He had done that too many times in his childhood. People feared him, detested him, so he would leave everyone be. If it were his right to be some where he would still act civil and sneak away.

He almost felt he should go and sit on the couch right beside the copy ninja spitefully. Making an effort to make his presence known, making effort to ensure the other was well aware he was not going to hide in the dark to make the man feel better. Naturally, the Sannin ended up staying where he was. He defeatedly moved over to his bed and sat beside the dog leaning on the back rest.

"I've lost the energy to care about that man," Orochimaru replied. "Did you need something or have you been banished too?"

"He actually offered me a seat, so no I wasn't banished. We work together I think he has become less untrusting of me," Saura said. "I just noticed you were in here all alone."

"I have Tsukiko. I'm not completely alone," Orochimaru said, as if the dog was even aware of his company being needed. As it was the hound was fast asleep again his heavy head now leaning on the male beside him. "If you want to go and join their conversation don't let me worry you."

"I'll stay here rather," Saura said. "If he is an asshole to you then I'd rather not share his company."

Orochimaru watched him curiously, he never knew why the man was always so quick to jump on his defence. He knew the copy ninja and the serpent were an item, it wasn't like he could possibly be thinking he would stand a chance. The Sannin was very unaware of the comments the NW had been passing to Kakashi, in his mind it made no real sense for the man to see any future.

"Do as you will," Orochimaru said. He then laughed lightly. "Next time, try hiding that drone of yours somewhere it can't be seen. I'm not sure if you were going for plain sight but it almost got you caught out."

"Did someone find it?" Saura asked worriedly.

"Kakashi," Orochimaru said as he watched the man come to sit on the bed as well. "But he won't say anything, he doesn't even know what it is."

"Can you do me a favour," Saura said quickly. "Rather don't tell him if he asks about it."

"It's your secret not mine," Orochimaru said. "So very well."

"Thanks," Saura said, he then reached in his pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes. "Would you like one?"

"I didn't know you smoked," Orochimaru said, he then shook his head politely gesturing he didn't feel like indulging in the poison.

"I don't do it often," Saura said. "Are you sure? War is stressful, if you don't find small ways to calm yourself you could end up snapping."

"The idea of that in my lungs is truly more stressful than war," Orochimaru commented.

"Suit yourself," Saura said as he drew in his own smoke. Tsukiko kicked out in his sleep as the two males spoke. The topics were unusual as both of them knew about the others home towns and yet seemed to never know enough. They shared stories of their childhood, the Sannin doing his best to only share ones that were happier. He had much fewer than the other man, so he tried to mention things that were not so much stories but more events.

"Who were you closer to, Tsunade or Jiraiya?" Saura asked.

"Closer? I wasn't close to either one. I preferred Tsunade's company at the time, but only because she was less in my space," Orochimaru said honestly. Saura met his eyes sadly.

"You sound like you were distant to your comrades," he said.

"I wasn't as close to them as they were to each other," Orochimaru admitted. "I suppose that made it harder in itself to get closer."

"They're missing out, not you," Saura said.

"I'm not always sure about that," Orochimaru said, he instantly stopped himself, he felt he was saying far too much. He instantly walled himself again, he didn't need to admit his past to anyone. He hadn't said anything mentionable and yet he still felt it was too personal. He didn't like talking about himself, especially not his past. He had every question answered in his mind when it came to his future, but he couldn't help but struggle with his past.

"You should be," Saura said. He said something after that but the Sannin got stuck in his thoughts momentarily. His comrades had said it was his fault they grew distant from him, that it was because he ran away, because he left. But it wasn't he had told himself at night. It was the opposite. It was because they were so distant that he ran. He had nothing to hold him to rationality, he had no one to call when he needed someone to calm him down. No one to fall on, so when he did inevitably come down he had broken in to a former shell of himself. He had been made cold, not because he chose to be, but because he had been forced to adapt to his surroundings.

"This obviously hurts you," Saura said, it was then that the Sannin realized he had gotten side tracked, he didn't like the way man worded it. _Hurt_. That sounded too weak for the legendary ninja. He had strived to never be weak, he refused to be weak.

"It doesn't," Orochimaru said, but it came out rather fake.

"Maybe it doesn't, but it did," Saura said, he then apologized. "I shouldn't have said that. Let's change the subject. Are you from a clan? Your eyes are different."

"My parents died when I was young... I never got to learn about my history," Orochimaru said. "Whatever relatives I have are seemingly gone as well. I've never looked for anyone, I've never really known where to start. So in short I don't know, I've just always looked this... different. No one's told me of my heritage."

"That's exciting," Saura said trying to see the good. "Maybe when this is over we can look for them."

"Them? As in my relatives?" Orochimaru asked. "I don't think they are alive, after this war, or any of the other wars I've witnessed for that matter."

Tsukiko kicked out with his one hind leg in his sleep, he was considerably strong given his size and the blow managed to knock Saura's cigarette out of his hand. The NW apologized as the smoke landed closer to the Sannin. He leant over the dog now half on top of Orochimaru as he attempted to locate the burning object. The serpent chuckled at the scene, the rather large man now looking slightly ridiculous as he searched for the glowing end.

The door clicked open and a sudden silence filled the room, Kakashi looked at them rather questioningly, although he tried to compose the look of suspicion.

"Got it!" Saura said as he pulled the small cigarette from beside the Sannin out. He then met eyes with Kakashi and smiled, he was usually arrogant, but in that situation the copy ninja wondered if perhaps he wasn't arrogant for a different reason. "I see you're done catching up secretly."

"I see you've just began?" Kakashi questioned. Orochimaru didn't understand the other mans over annoyed expression, it seemed a bit possessive when he didn't know the extent of Saura's words. Them being on the bed somehow made it worse. "Interesting place to talk."

"We weren't being secretive, and it's not so interesting a choice, it was the only place I was allowed thanks to your friend," Orochimaru replied.

"Well he's gone now. You should probably be going to," Kakashi said to the NW. Saura laughed as he rose from the bed, it was obviously just to poke the fires some more when he leant over and kissed the Sannins forehead.

"I'll leave. Night Oro-chan. I hope you're feeling better tomorrow morning," he said. He was playing it off as care, as he had seen the Sannin upset moments before. The serpent saw the gesture as an act of trying to console the male, Kakashi saw it entirely differently. The NW then walked past the man in a slow lingering fashion, if he had taken a second longer Kakashi swore he may have hit his smug smile straight off his face.

"So what did Asuma want?" Orochimaru asked.

"I don't like him," Kakashi said following the other mans trail. Orochimaru blinked at him wondering why he had point blank changed topics. His hatred must have been rather real.

"Is this one of those I can only hang out with people you choose situations?" Orochimaru questioned with narrow eyes.

"It's not like that, but I hate you being around that guy," Kakashi said, the words were falling from his mouth before he could catch them.

"I don't exactly _like_ Asuma. You don't hear me telling you that I don't want you seeing him," Orochimaru replied rather dryly. It was different the copy ninja thought, it was different because Asuma was not a threat to their relationship in anyway. To the Sannin it was exactly the same, Asuma was always making the Sannin uncomfortable, Saura evidently doing the same to Kakashi. If anything Asuma was far more rude in his ways than Saura had ever been to the copy ninja.

"It's not about me not liking him," Kakashi said. It was about the man liking the Sannin.

"Then what is it about?" Orochimaru asked.

"You don't think he acts too... inappropriately around you?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm... not sure I know what you mean by inappropriate." Orochimaru said back.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything," Kakashi said, he wasn't up for a long debate, he didn't feel like trying to push his point across. If it hadn't been received already it was more of a mission than he had the energy for.

"I'm not able to read your thoughts Kakashi. If something is bothering you I'd like to know what, and not the short version with no rationality explaining it," Orochimaru said leaning back in to the bed his hair falling down his shoulders.

"We can discuss it another time. We have more important things to worry about," Kakashi said. "I'm going to sleep in the lounge. It smells like smoke in here."

Orochimaru didn't get the chance to stop him. Tsukiko was awake with the new energy in the room and looked between them. When the Sannin got up to follow the man to the next room the dog decided it was too much of a mission to join him and burrowed in to the warm sheets.

"What are you talking about?" Orochimaru said as he drew up beside his lover, the man was dismissive as he got himself a glass of water.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," Kakashi said.

"Yet you want to be in an entirely different room to me, because of nothing apparently," Orochimaru said.

"It smells like smoke, I already said that," Kakashi lied. It had nothing to do with the faint smell of the others cigarette. It had everything to do with the memory of his form being there however.

"You're a weak liar my love," Orochimaru muttered turning off sharply his entire form now rigid with anger.

"Liar? I hardly constitute a liar," Kakashi said. "If anything-"

He stopped himself, the Sannin was well aware however of what his next sentence consisted of. It always came up when the other man spoke to Asuma. He always managed to blurt out one of the Sannins apparent flaws, one deemed evil or immoral.

"If anything _I_ am a liar," Orochimaru finished for him.

"I wasn't going to say that," Kakashi said.

"No you weren't, but you thought it. It almost makes it worse, you've said nothing this entire conversation. Just like your unfinished sentence you open a topic and leave it in the air," Orochimaru hissed. "I've lied to many people, I've never lied to you. I don't like sharing my thoughts either, it's a dangerous game to play, revealing your true self. It has openings for tragedy. But I try to be straight with you if with no one else. I wish you would do the same for me, but perhaps our definition of relationship is vastly different."

"I'm not hiding anything from you," Kakashi said his voice softened, the water in the glass trembled as his hand did, perhaps from anger, maybe guilt. "It's not nothing, but it's nothing important."

"Right. It never really is," Orochimaru said, he grabbed his coat off the hanger and made for the door.

"Why are you leaving?" Kakashi asked in a slightly defeated voice.

"This room smells of smoke my dear," he said with disapproval in his tone.

Kakashi realized his failed lie, Asuma had also been smoking. The lounge was larger than the bedroom so the hint of smoke was minor, naturally it made a small difference. If anything it simply made his lie weak, his attempt at ending the debate seemingly haven backfired. The door shut out the sound of rain when it closed once more.

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Three days after the fight the couple had come to a silent agreement to forget the entire thing. The Sannin only doing so because the copy ninja wanted it that way. Kakashi had noticed however that the males way of talking had changed. He was becoming more evasive, his words less open. The Jonin felt as if he was trying to handle a snake he had always done so easily before, yet now, whenever he reached out for the serpent it would rear its head in warning. Although whenever the man touched the snake it did not strike, the warning made him uneasy. Made him question if it were only a matter of time. Orochimaru had said he was going to the Cloud leader to show him the cure, he had not asked the copy ninja to accompany him. He wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for the fact that he had asked Deidara to instead. Evidently the blond picked up on it as well, his blue eyes meeting Kakashi questioningly on the day. Orochimaru presented his cure to the Riakage. The man was both eager and sceptical. It was clear he wanted to believe the Sannin had done such a feat on short notice, but he was finding it hard too.

"Have you tested it?" The Cloud leader asked.

"Yes. On myself three days ago," Orochimaru said.

"And on anyone else?" He seemed suspicious.

"Just myself," Orochimaru said.

"I'll be cured in front of you," Deidara said. "So that you can see for yourself."

He had no fear of any side effects, he trusted the other male. He was not hard to convince, despite being a rogue he was often naively trusting. Orochimaru did his best to protect the over gullible male. Together they were a good blend, the dark haired one always first saying no, the blond always first saying yes. It made them both stop to come to an agreement, in doing so allowing for them to come to the right conclusion.

"Very well," the leader said. Orochimaru did his best not to roll his eyes. If he had offered to show case the cure on a shinobi with a nation the leader would have called it "human experimentation", but since it was done on two rogues it did not matter. Without fail the blond was cured, his chakara ignoring the NW made lock. The man's eyes were wide with shock, he hadn't believed it possible. Now he was forced to acknowledge it.

"You've done more than your share Sannin," the Riakage said. The serpent did not take the praise, he wasn't good at doing so as he never felt he could trust anyone when they were being nice.

"We should start curing all our ninja, then when our plans are sorted we can finally take back what is ours," Orochimaru said. He was eager to get a start on rebuilding the ninja world, he didn't like the conflict any longer, he had lost the ability to learn from it. He had been through so many wars, most of his life taken over by them, that he had learned all he could. He had far better things to do than repeat history.

"Naturally. I will inform you when that day comes. For now you must help administer the cures," the Cloud leader said. Deidara bounced the ineffective machine in his hands as he watched the conversation. Once they had finished he followed his friend out to the cold streets.

"Can't wait to blow them up hm," Deidara said his eyes glancing over at the other male.

"I'll leave the blowing up to you," Orochimaru said with a light smile. He could appreciate the others taste in art even if it differed from his idea of eternity. He didn't want eternal life because he saw it as beautiful. He did it because it was practical for what he wanted to do, his aims required it. The Sannins eyes narrowed when someone arrived beside them, too close for comfort the snake hissed and spun around to meet a familiar gaze.

"I see you're in the mood for a fight," Kisame said his jagged smile visible from beneath his hood. The Sannin looked up at the shark like male and folded his arms over his chest, they stood in the middle of the quiet street, the rain beating down around them.

"If you had been anyone else maybe," Orochimaru said as he relaxed around the other.

"That's a pity. I was hoping I would get some action in this dead beat place," Kisame said, his grin hadn't faded and his sword glinted under its bandages. He seemed edgy, he had been stuck in the town for too long evidently and had begun to look for other places for amusement.

"We'll fight you," Deidara said accepting the challenge.

"We? He can hardly keep up with one of us," Orochimaru replied with a small smile of his own. Kisame laughed at the smaller males jab.

"Please, you'll have to outnumber me to stand a chance," he replied. "But Hidan has been itching to fight as well. We can include him and pick teams."

"You two can be a team. We want to fight together," Deidara said looping a playful arm around the Sannins neck to indicate their friendship. The serpent was tugged down by the others hold, he hadn't expected it and he almost buckled beneath him. Deidara was off balanced with the black haired male being off balanced and they both stumbled clumsily. It had Kisame practically grinning from ear to ear as he subdued a laugh.

"You sure? You two ladies might need a real man to help you," he mocked. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes back in return.

"Perhaps, but we are sadly all out of _real_ men. We will just have to settle with one another," the Sannin stated.

"Keep that spirit snake," Kisame said. "I'll meet you both at the east wood forest, I'll go fetch Hidan."

"Don't back out hm," Deidara said as they parted ways, the two smaller males watching the shark like man leave. He was gone rather quickly despite his size. They headed through the rain until they reached the house, they had chosen to stop at the blonds house to place all their belongings. He lived alone as he had come much earlier than the Sannin and his team had. It was a smaller house which was situated on top of two other houses, it being the third story. The view was pleasant and while the blond placed things down the Sannin gazed out at the scenery which was half distorted by the rain. Training was going to be difficult given the weather but for some reason the rogues were in the mood. It had been too long for all of them, they only had so much civility to offer. Soon enough the four of them had gathered in a small clearing near the forests edge. No one was out in the horrible weather but they had still chosen a spot far from any eyes. None of them had been accepted due to their pasts. If onlookers saw them fighting they'd probably assume the rogues were uncontrollable.

"And here I thought the two ladies had backed out," Kisame called to the approaching figures, he had his large legendary blade drawn and ready.

"Sounds like you were hoping we wouldn't show up," Orochimaru said, since the other man had already unsheathed his blade he allowed his own katana to emerge. He slipped Kusangi out from his mouth in a truly inhuman fashion, the display usually scaring opponents but all the rogues had odd abilities. It enticed them rather than startle them. Deidara allowed little clay birds to flap out the mouths on his hands and spin circles around the two more feminine ninja while Hidan bounced his scythe on the floor until the sharp end pierced the earth.

"You ready then?" Hidan asked his impatience evident, he needed bloodshed. Orochimaru wondered if the immortal would know how to hold back in a sparring match, he was so much in an _I can't die_ mentality, it may be contagious. The battle commenced and the shinobi all vanished before appearing by their chosen target. Kisame slammed his man sized blade down the serpent slipping out of range with seconds to spare.

Although Deidara fought from the sky in usual battles, Hidan could not quite reach him and in the nature of it being a less aggressive sparring match he kept to the ground. They hopped around and Hidan madly swung the large scythe towards the blond who easily evaded him before lobbing multiple smaller birds. Orochimaru glanced to check his friend was faring well before redirecting his focus on to the man on top of him. Kisame was a considerable size, the Sannin being smaller than the usual man, made dramatically smaller in comparison to the shark. Orochimaru skidded out the way as he allowed two man eating snakes to coil around the summoned water sharks. He then sent wind to erupt towards the large man, it upturned the earth below them and sent the rain crashing away in its wake. Kisame had evidently dodged as he managed to get around the Sannin only a small trickle of blood running down his lip. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes as he evaded the next blow. They countered one another's moves while bombs and mad laughter sounded behind them. The serpent was faster, the shark was stronger. The snake would have to hit first and move away quickly, slowly wearing the other male down whereas all the shark needed was to get a hold of the serpent.

It was easier said than done, they wrestled for hours, the ground was destroyed beneath them, the trees had fallen over and shattered branches and rocks littered the training area. All the shinobi were panting breathlessly, bloodied and yet satisfied. The blades of Kisame and Orochimaru glinted in the rain, they were all drenched but they could not feel the cold, their bodies were almost over heated as they fought. Hidan lunged at Deidara but the blond male darted to the side before leaping up on to a clay creation. It flapped its impressive wings as it ascended, forcing the immortal to attempt to reach it. Kisame aided the man by sending water at the bird, however it was countered when the Sannin appeared in front of the incoming attack, a large blast of wind ending its journey. Orochimaru then felt the air knocked from his lungs, he had been forced to turn his back on the immortal. The Sannin had lost balance, but before Hidan could try anything further he was blasted away by clay birds. Kisame took the opportunity to advance on the momentarily downed Sannin. Golden eyes met the shark like ones as he was pinned to the wet flooded floor. Kisame had his jagged blade pressed lightly on the smaller males chest and neck, he inched it down slightly so that it was grazing his pale flesh.

"Looks like a checkmate snake," Kisame said with a toothed grin, his smug smile was met by a challenging one.

"It's your own down fall for underestimating me," he hissed back playfully.

The shark didn't need much more to go off, he leapt away from the serpent just in time to evade a large brown summoning break through the ground. Had he not moved the creature would have snapped its large jaws into him and continued to wrap its thick powerful form around his body. The summoning looked at its summoner who had climbed to his feet slightly shakily, he felt winded from the others weight pinning him. The summoned snake hissed and disappeared below the earth once more to strike where the foe could not see.

"Still in it I see," Kisame said as he sent a wave of water towards the other ninja, Sharks emerged from it and snapped at the male before them. Orochimaru ran along the water and leapt away from the ocean predators. He glanced back to see how his partner was doing. Hidan had his bird spiralling down forcing the artist to leap away from the explosion, he was then smashed in to a nearby tree where Hidan held his scythe inches from his throat.

"I take it you surrender?" Hidan said, the blond had no means of escape. Since Hidan would have in a real fight have killed him in that moment he was forced to comply too sparring rules. He pushed the blade away.

"You haven't beaten us yet hm," Deidara said. Orochimaru watched, he knew the blond was by no means weaker than the immortal. But he was sometimes childish and evidently didn't take sparring as seriously, he had let his guard down because of that. The serpent looked at the presented situation.

He would have preferred his team to win, but as it stood he now faced two opponents rather than just one. Kisame had been challenging enough. All the shinobi knew sparring did not show by any means which of them was superior. They all held back their main abilities and secret techniques as they would be far too lethal. They did not want to kill or cripple one another, it was merely training.

"Just you huh?" Hidan laughed maniacally.

"Careful, that kind of confidence almost cost your team mate a limb," Orochimaru said. Kisame roared a laugh of his own.

"You might as well save yourself the pain and surrender, we aren't going to go easy on you just because the odds have tipped out of your favour," he said.

The battle continued and the snake found it hard but not impossible to stay away from both of them, he chose to attack in a far range manner. He sent out snakes he summoned and allowed strong winds to target his attackers. Kisame could counter from close or afar but Hidan required his target to be close range, it made matters difficult for them. Orochimaru saw an opening, he could get the shark man out, he had Kusangi drawn as he darted underground. The larger man did not see him, he had been caught off guard already by a large summoning. The Sannin had transformed in to a snake of similar stature as he disappeared.

"Kisame!" Hidan warned but it was too late as the summoning turned to smoke only for the snake Sannin to emerge out the ground. He didn't pierce the mans flesh with his fangs, it would be a rather critical wound and he didn't see it fit for a sparring match. Instead he used his now serpentine form to coil around the man.

Kisame was rendered unable to move and found he was going to be forced to forfeit. The snake suddenly screamed out in pain and uncoiled, a sharp sword ran straight through him. The rogues turned to see Cloud Jonin now in the area, the ex-Akatsuki members hadn't noticed them. The ninja specialized in hiding themselves, the Sannin writhed for a few moments, the long body of his snake transformation flicking back and forth. He then opened his reptilian mouth wider than a simple scream of pain as a new brown serpent slipped from its mouth. His now regenerated form retuned to human as he faced the Jonin. They looked petrified. Although they had snuck up and ambushed the ninja they were certainly no match for the rogues. They couldn't take on one of them, four of them was simply a joke.

"You better have a reason for ruining our fight?" Kisame sneered, he knew he was out, but he would let the snake have the satisfaction of doing so. Orochimaru had his arms crossed over his chest casually, as if they had not just dared to impale him.

"We were merely sparring. There is no cause for alarm," Orochimaru said seeing their fear ridden faces.

"Sparring?" One Jonin said. Perhaps their attacks were too large scale for their understanding. They trained in much safer ways, they did not have the natural wildness the rogues possessed. It was dogs trying to grasp the antics of wolves, similar and yet entirely different.

"We were ordered to see to it that no one was getting hurt," one man managed to say.

"This is not allowed on our land," a female Jonin added. "We order you to return to the village. Without causing more need for panic."

"This place is no fun," Hidan said clucking his tongue in annoyance. "Rematch Sannin. We need to find a winner."

"There was never any need for panic," Orochimaru answered the woman. "But we will return if it is by the Riakage's order."

The Jonin watched them with sceptical eyes as they moved away from the rogues, they were still making sure the ninja would not carry on when they had gone. Deidara passed annoyed eyes at his friend. At the very least, the Sannin thought, they were unaccepted together. It was a far better feeling being outcast in a group than being outcast all by oneself. The Sannin smiled a fanged smile at the other rogues.

"We can always do this another time. For now we shouldn't scare the easily frightened townsmen," Orochimaru said, the other rogues joined him in his amusement. They thought the villagers rather pitiful in their fears. The rogues were different and so they were kicked from the normal ninjas ranks, perhaps they wanted it that way as well.

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Satoru burst in to the room easily earning the attention of everyone present. He had a look of madness in his eyes, as if every part of his plan had just fallen in to place.

"We have found them," he said.

"Found who Imperial?" Nya asked, her features had still not healed as they remained charred and haunted.

"The ninja," he said.

"Which ninja sir?" Nya asked coming to stand by her higher ups side.

"All of them," his words were confident, it made his lieutenant smile. There was a ninja she certainly wanted to see again. The serpent had escaped her grasp once but it would not be so a second time.

"Has one of our drones found them?" She asked now sharing his eager madness.

"No," he said, he glanced down at the woman. "They found one of our drones."

Authors note: thanks for keeping up with the story for those who do. The favourites, reviews and follows, are appreciated. And also... A massively huge thank you to the amazing Vampiredoll666 who left the most heart-warming review. Thank you thank you thank you. I think it deserved a public thanks as it really made my day- or even my week for that matter. Such lovely words!


	18. Under the enemies watch

"The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends."

Two Cloud Jonin were idly chatting by their look our post as the rain made their job considerably harder. The dull sound of it hitting the ground forced them to speak louder until another noise entered the area. One of the ninja watched in horror so his friend looked over his shoulder. He got to his feet before he also fell in to a shocked panic.

"We need to tell Riakage-sama!" He yelled. The large machines demolished the forests as they moved towards the shore, the flying metallic monsters made even more sickeningly loud sounds as they growled towards the village, the last village still alive. It was what ninja associated with utter annihilation. The amount of technological devices coming towards the Cloud village was a daunting sum. The two ninja turned away from the frightening advance, they raced back to their village, the village they were almost certain would be utterly destroyed by the approach.

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Orochimaru felt the warmth of his partners sleeping form beside him, on his other side he felt the heat of the dog. He couldn't understand why he had woken up, he glanced at the clock, it was far too early in the morning for his mind to switch on. He couldn't shake the feeling and he sat up, his movement had stirred his lover. They had been on strange terms, but they found the quiet nights peaceful enough to forget their own tensions. Kakashi sat up and brushed hair out the Sannins golden eyes which were completely unsettled and alert.

"Is something wrong?" The copy ninja asked.

"I don't know," Orochimaru admitted. He got to his feet, he couldn't shake the feeling and he refused to shut out his instincts. Kakashi watched him from the sheets as Tsukiko lifted his head his bent ears raising.

"You're going to be tired in the morning. Try to go back to sleep," Kakashi said, he didn't want to ignore the others gut feeling, but he sensed nothing so he worried the serpents past was coming back to haunt him, it had many times before. It often kept him up.

"Something isn't right," Orochimaru said, he could feel the tight sensation in his stomach. "Get up."

Kakashi hadn't expected that to come from his lover, but the state he was in proved it was not a simple bad nights dream. He got out of the sheets and came to stand by the shorter ninja, he wanted to sense what he sensed. Equally, he wanted to stop the males distress. They entered the kitchen and turned on the light after getting in to normal fighting attire. Orochimaru went to Saura's room, the copy ninja stopped him.

"Why wake him?" He asked, he didn't care if the man joined them, but he didn't know if the NW would appreciate being woken up when he could offer nothing to the situation. Saura did not deserve the copy ninjas concern but everyone somehow earned it from the protective Jonin.

"He needs to get changed in case," Orochimaru said.

"In case?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm waking him," Orochimaru said entering the room, the copy ninja did not argue again. Something was evidently very wrong. Saura emerged a few minutes after the serpent, he looked alert and nervous.

"What's wrong, are we safe?" He asked.

"I don't think-" the door banged open half way through the snakes words. Several Jonin entered, the broken door frame was shattered on the floor and Tsukiko leapt up fur raised as he fell towards the men. Orochimaru got to the dogs side, he didn't need him getting hurt again. He was pulled away from the hound as he was apprehended. They tied a bandage around the dogs snapping jaws to muzzle him, the serpent objected. He had sensed danger but he had not expected it to be the towns ninja.

"What orders are you following?" Kakashi asked coming to shield the Sannin despite him being the most dangerous person in the room now that he was angered and defensive.

"The Riakage wishes to speak to you. You are to be detained with or without consent," a larger Jonin said. "If you resist we have the right to use force."

"We will go to the Riakage," Orochimaru said. "There was never any need to act so uncivil."

The Jonin eyed him angrily, they did not like the Sannin as it stood, if they had the choice they would harm him even if he obeyed. The Sannin narrowed his eyes, what a pity it was he was too powerful for them to try that.

The Jonin walked up and attempted to pin all three males hands behind their backs. Kakashi told Saura to calm down, that it didn't mean they were unsafe. Orochimaru was firmly of the belief their treatment was unjust.

"We are perfectly capable of walking without such detainment," he hissed. "We are allies not criminals."

"We aren't sure," the woman said.

"We haven't done anything," Kakashi established. "Regardless, for the sake of your leader we will do as you say."

He met eyes with the serpent, commanding him to simply obey their rules, for if they didn't it would likely end worse than it easily could have. Saura was obedient, if a fight broke out he would be killed effortlessly. The ninja would have to protect him and he doubted they would put their own lives at risk for a man no longer needed. Both larger males watched the serpent, his eyes were still defiant but he stopped his complaints sensing the other twos uneasiness. They were used to playing by the book, they were used to doing whatever someone in a higher position ordered. The rogue was not, he knew when to question, when to object. He knew when he was being pushed around and he refused to allow it. For their sake, he decided he would conform. They were roughly shoved out the door their arms now behind their backs as they were forced in to the rain, thankfully the rain was light as their cloaks were on but not drawn over their heads. They were not taken to the Riakage's office, but to a small training field far from the village, beside him was many other ninja of high rank, and then finally the group rested their eyes on Asuma. He looked worried.

"They have found us," the Riakage said gravely. "My men have seen them in their legions, they are almost across the borders and sources have told me that you have brought the enemy here. In fact, you brought the enemy here days ago."

"Get to the point," Orochimaru said his former respect gone. He no longer thought he owed the man such courtesy. He certainly had dropped his friendly facade.

"Watch your mouth," a Jonin snapped. He was silenced by the golden slitted eyes.

"I'd heed your own advice Jonin," he hissed, the threat had sent all the ninja around in to a mild nervous panic. They tried to be brave by their leaders side, but they all knew that even as a group they stood no chance against the legendary Sannin. The Riakage did not have that fear, he had heard the males title, he knew he was known for killing Kage. He was still unfazed.

"That man is no ninja," the Cloud leader said. It fell in to place, the sightings had not been the only reason the town had figured it out, it wasn't enough evidence.

"Bastard," Orochimaru hissed under his breath as he met eyes with Asuma.

"Saura is an NW, he exposed our location," Asuma said. "You two are criminals by association."

"You knew you had an enemy with you but you lied for his sake. You risked us all and now the military is well on its way to the only standing nation," the Riakage said. Saura was too scared to speak, but the copy ninja knew what he wanted to say so he said it for him.

"He did no such thing. He is an NW, but he saw their darker side and fled like any moral man might. He has not contacted them, we kept his secret only because we knew for a fact that he was safe. There are lots of reasons we may have been found," Kakashi said.

"You have lied before. You may very well be lying now," the Riakage said.

"We do not know how they found the village, but we would never wish it upon ourselves. Even if we did not car for this nation, surely you can rationalize and guess that we would never stay in a targeted village," Kakashi said again.

"I don't know your motives, they seem to change. You were a good man Hatake, I have heard good things. It's a pity you have let this rogue influence your ways," The Riakage said with a firm expression. "You have both helped us get to a stronger point in this war. We have developed greatly with your aid. It saddens me, but you will have to face the penalty of treason."

"Death," Orochimaru hissed. "I suggest you reconsider. An army approaches you, and I assure every man on your team will be slaughtered if they dare fight us."

"Kakashi was not a part of it," Asuma said. "He doesn't question the Sannin, he doesn't look in to what he does because he trusts him. This was the snakes doing not his, Kakashi can't be put to death for ignorance."

"I'm as innocent as Orochimaru," Kakashi snapped back, even though the gesture was to help him he took it like a slap to the face. "Whether you convict me with him or not makes no difference. If you raise your blade we raise ours. We do not want to do it, it's your choice."

Lightning buzzed around the Cloud leaders hand as if to answer the very question. The Jonin readied themselves, Asuma and two of men scattered off to go elsewhere, perhaps for back up. Now they knew why they had taken the three somewhere far away, they knew the powerful ninja would fight back. The large man despite his size was fast and he disappeared within moments. His target was the NW, perhaps because he assumed he would be the most unpredictable. He did not know how vulnerable the man truly was without any weapons to his name. Orochimaru countered him now in the form of a large serpent, he coiled his lithe body around the man and managed to tackled him to floor. The giant snake and the large man wrestled for a few moments before a blade slipped form the reptiles mouth. The Riakage allowed a stronger current of electricity to form as it took the shape of a sword. It forced the Sannin to uncoil and back up his blade of Kusangi slashing down as he did so. The cloud leader had taken damage on his torso from the blow as the snake had one running down his own spine. Jonin lunged at the snake but Kakashi intercepted them all easily. He pulled his Konoha headband up to reveal his hidden sharigan and he captured the nearest Jonin. He was then making his way around to them all as he knocked them unconscious. He saw no need to kill men doing their jobs. The Sannin was preoccupied with the Riakage as they fought. He had sustained heavy damage and so had the large man.

Saura looked as if he wanted to run but did not know where to go. Orochimaru scanned the field when he received a moment of pause form the relentless attacks. He could sense more men coming, the two of them would not be able to kill the Riakage before they got there.

"Get Saura out of here," Orochimaru said. He knew he would find it easier escaping a mass crowd than his lover would. His tactics were designed for flight when need be.

"I'm not leaving you," Kakahsi said charging the leader.

"I will find it easier to escape without you. More men are coming, trust me on this I will find you as soon as it is safe to do so," Orochimaru said, they challenged one another with their eyes but the copy ninja decided to for once to obey the others plans. He rushed to Saura and aided the NW away from the scene, he owed the man nothing, he owed the man less than nothing. But it was not in his nature to hold grudges on the battlefield. He would not let a man die because of his own feelings. The Sannin watched them leave, the Kage did not as he attempted to stop them. He was smashed back as he caught his balance a few meters after the crash. Orochimaru stood in his path, his small build a constant mockery to the larger man. How someone so much weaker looking managed to outright deny him every possible exit.

They engaged again as they clashed blades, the Cloud leader got in more blows than the snake did but it was not the pale ninjas concern. He simply regenerated when the damage was too much and as it was he was picking away at the mans own resistance. Then the tables turned out of the Sannins favour as more men came around them to aid their leader. Asuma was with them as he readied their attack, he glanced around trying to locate the other two. He seemed worried when he could not find the copy ninja, he did not want the man to die. He would happily impale the Sannin however. Orochimaru hissed as he was outnumbered, they hadn't simply brought a few teams, they had brought almost hundreds of ninja. He darted around them and although he could evade the masses he could never quite get away from the Kage. He was successfully managing to get rid of the Jonin, he was not as merciful as Kakashi had been and he made sure the men died so they could not get up and fight him again. Orochimaru summoned a large snake, he didn't care if he was seen, the cloud ninja knew he was to be taken down. The three headed colossal serpent arrived angrily as is it witnessed the display against its summoner. Many lives were taken simply upon its arrival, one large head ducked down to shield the Sannin. The cloud leader appeared beside it and used a chakara filled punch to bash the snakes side. It grunted in pain and then snapped a large eye at the Kage.

It whipped around with its tail sending the leader leaping back to avoid devastating damage. Orochimaru left the snake there to fend off the ninja as he raced towards the direction he had seen Kakashi take. He then paused, what would become of Tsukiko back home. He could head back to the village but it seemed painfully dangerous. Regardless of logic saying it was impossible the Sannin found himself within the walls of the nation that wanted him dead. Rain hid him and he pulled the dark hood over his face. He was exhausted already form fighting the Kage and the elite group of ninja. His breaths were ragged as he darted behind walls back towards the residence they had once offered him. He got to the house where he ducked in through the door that was shattered. He heard banging and whining coming from his bedroom. He opened the door and the dog knocked him over as he escaped the confinement. His body was shaking and he refused to stop his loud barking and crying. He was both stressed and relieved to be by the ninja.

"Quiet. We have to leave come on," Orochimaru said. He was doing his best to get the dog to cooperate but it wasn't working and he found he was simply being knocked over all the time. The muzzle lay destroyed on the floor, a testament of the dogs frustration. The ninja soon realized he would have no way of getting the dog out safely. It was pointless to even try with the crippled companion. As he thought it over he sensed someone behind him and he spun around his hood still over his head covering his identity.

He ducked out the way of the kunai aimed at his head, Asuma slammed in to him taking him to the ground as the tumbled a few lengths. They stopped and the larger man was on top of the serpent who hissed in a mixture of anger and panic. Tsukiko barked but he could not enter the fight as he fell when he tried to run. Asuma raised a fist as he pulled the Sannin upwards clasping his cloaks collar. Orochimaru shoved at the man but he knew physical advances would render him on the disadvantaged side of the battle, so instead he allowed the legendary blade to slip out his mouth controlled by an emerald serpent. With the blades unnatural ability to bend the Jonin had to move off to avoid being impaled. Orochimaru used the opportunity to draw his blade and get to his feet in a flash of dark purple and black. They engaged again, it was now an even worse situation. The Sannin did not want to kill the man for the sake of the copy ninja, noting if he did want to he very much could have. He outclassed the man with his skill, if he had managed to kill his father he would have few issues with killing the weaker man. He considered it, it would be so easy, who would know the Sannin had done it. He could end the bloodline right there. Asuma clashed with his sword using a glowing blue blade. Orochimaru hissed, then suddenly all the air he had been struggling to inhale was forced out his lungs by a stronger force. The Riakage had gotten in to the room. Orochimaru lay on his side propped up on one arm as he tried to get up failing twice when his body refused. He could regenerate but it was not physical wounds that plagued him. It was fatigue.

He was one man, they were an army. He could take the ninja of Jonin rankings, he could take all of them. But the Riakage was proving a problem. He felt the man land on top of him but he transformed in to a serpent to gain a power advantage. His now stream line form wrapped itself around the man as he clamped needle like fangs in to his arm and shoulder, the leader roared in pain as he tried to get the snake to release him by sending circuits of blue lightning out. It succeeded as pain was to over bearing to remain close to the man. Orochimaru felt something dig itself deep inside his flesh and he shook from the pain as he thrashed backwards. Asuma still held the short blade which was wedged in the serpent flesh, he pulled it down running a deep gash down the snakes form. Orochimaru tried to evade it by turning human again but Asuma took another blade in his other hand as the man escaped and stabbed him in the side. The Sannin backed up but the cloud leader then appeared next to him as he slammed him into the wall. The blade sunk deeper into his side as it crashed against the wall. He cried out in pain as he slumped to the floor landing on one knee. He tried to get up at a speed quick enough to avoid the next attack but he failed. It resulted in more searing sensations as he struggled to remain focused on battle. Tsukiko howled loudly, uselessly, even desperately.

The Sannin watched the man approach him, he wanted to regenerate but he was out of chakara from fighting the many men and highly skilled Kage. Golden eyes traced every step the larger man took as he gained on his prey, Asuma was waiting a few breaths away dare the serpent try escape. Orochimaru flicked his attention for a brief moment to his lovers friend, he had a feeling it would be that man who cost him his life. But it would not be today, he was bloodied but the blade was still wedged in his side and he did not yet risk bleeding to death. When the man was close enough the Sannin placed a bloodied hand to the wall as he changed his form. The Riakage was too late to avoid the Sannins counter attack. His demonic appearance had the man shifting away after he regained himself from the blast backwards. The white serpent made up of many other smaller snakes hissed as it reared around the room. His golden eyes were marked by black as they locked on to the two figures his view on the world different now that he shared much of his abilities with a snake. He had black spikes crowning his serpentine head, it was the monster he had become when he had done one too many experiments on himself. He'd call it a transformation but it was not, it required no chakara, he could simply turn in to the snake hybrid.

The two men looked with mixed horrors at the demonic creature, although the snakes face was long like most reptiles it had an air of human quality to it. Not enough to pin point but enough to mark its intelligence and evolution.

"What is that?" The Riakage asked with a composed expression.

"Fucking freak," Asuma growled. The snakes on the white serpents body came to life as they snapped fanged poisonous jaws at the two males. They did their best to avoid them, one hit would be critical so they had very little room for error. Tsukiko stood frightened in the corner, he could smell it was the Sannin but he could not fathom the fearsome change. Orochimaru looked over at the companion unsure of how to console him during battle, it wasn't possible. He wasn't prepared to leave the dog and he could fend the two men off but that wasn't going to be enough. He had to get out before the NW military arrived. He saw a glint of blue behind him and he almost sunk his fangs in to the source. He stopped himself when the familiar chakara caught his sense. Kakashi slammed his chidori in to the cloud leaders chest and he was sent crashing away. Asuma still targeted the Sannin, he was evidently loyal to the copy ninja no matter the situation. It didn't matter, he was easy prey for the serpent. He did not poison him, especially now that Kakashi was in the room. Orochimaru saw his lover create a few hand signs as he landed beside the scared dog. Tsukiko flashed worried eyes at him and attempted to bite him in defence when he placed a quick hand on him. Thankfully the dog missed as he went up in smoke. The Sannin was confused, he wondered where the copy ninja had sent him, he prayed it was somewhere smart.

Since the dog was now gone he was no longer bound to the house, he slipped around the room and slammed his long body of snakes into both males. Kakashi glanced up at the serpent with no fear at all, he was requesting they run, the serpent complied as he returned to his human form. They disappeared out the window as both males tried to catch up. Although the Riakage was by standard the faster ninja, speed did not make a difference when his targets were gone from sight their chakara unable to be detected. They were in the forest, Kakashi took the lead as he knew where he had left Saura last. As they leapt over branches and evaded being found by any lurking ninja they heard the troubled sound of the NW man. He sounded as if he were in pain and distress, he sounded like an animal caught in a trap. Orochimaru now aware of exactly where he needed to be sped up and took the lead. A second too late could mean the mans death and he was fully aware of just how fragile humans were.

Orochimaru was the first to arrive at the scene when he was certain whoever was harming Saura was no ally. He drew his blade forgetting his exhaustion and injuries as he materialized in front of the NW who was on the floor clutching his arm. Three ninja looked wide eyed at the Sannin, they had thought the other man an easy target so they entered the battle in a small number, but they had no realized they would fight the legendary ninja. Kakashi arrived on the scene but it was only moments after the Sannin had slit all three of their enemies throats. Blood gushed from their fatal wounds as their lifeless eyes rolled slightly backwards. Orochimaru looked back at Saura to check how severe the damage was. It wasn't what the serpent had wanted to see, blood soaked most of his chest despite his focus being on his arm. He was panicked beyond help as he muttered he did not want to die, and he surely would if he was not healed. Orochimaru dropped down beside him and tried his best to console the mortally injured male, it was doing nothing and the rain was causing the damage to appear worse.

"Kakashi we need to take him to a shelter," Orochimaru said his voice hinging on stressed.

"All right. He will be fine," Kakashi said reassuring his lover more than the NW. The copy ninja picked the other man up and darted off in to the trees with him. He wasn't being an easy patient but they soon found their way to a dark cave. They stayed near the entrance so they could see better as they assessed the damage properly.

"We need to stop the bleeding," Orochimaru said as he removed his own cloak, he had used it to save Tsukiko when he had lost his leg, he supposed it was time to part with the clothing for good. He tore some of it in to shreds so that they could layer the wound with bandages. Kakashi wanted to offer his lover his cloak to replace the one the serpent had just destroyed to patch up the NW, but he sensed the Sannin was in no mood for worrying about the cold. He would have to wait for a better time, or else risk the golden eyes reprimanding his bad timing. Orochimaru had seen Kabuto and Tsunade stabilize many victims and he mimicked what they did using his own basic first aid knowledge. Saura was losing much blood, too much to ensure his survival, the Sannin knew that what he had done had spared him for the time being, but it would not be enough. They needed help or the man was sure to die.

"That's all we can do," Orochimaru said, he wanted his lover to tell him he was wrong, to find another option.

"We can't look for a medic. None of them will help us now," Kakashi said. The snake nodded, perhaps not, perhaps they were stranded in the forest void of any means to save the NW. But he had watched too many things suffer in war, and he had a habit of never quitting. He would search for help, for a way to save him. He would keep trying until the man took his final breath. He owed him for all the times he was saved, it wasn't an act of mercy as much as an act of justice. He hated owing people, and so he would do his best to ensure he no longer did.

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Deidara swooped. ahead of the military drones, they had underestimated the ninja greatly. They had brought hundreds of military machinery and yet it was almost seemingly futile now that their machines could not lock the ninjas chakara. The gates of the Cloud nation were still untouched as shinobi met the military before it arrived by their homes. Orders were given through panicked commands as the men tried to stop the shinobi from killing them all. Winning was no longer an option, Saura had exposed all their weaknesses, he had given them ways to go around certain techniques the NWs had relied on. Kakashi had trained the Jonin and Chunin, he had ensured they were up to standard to face guns and bombs, he had taught them how to be better in their approaches. Orochimaru had made them immune to enemy attacks, he had deprived the enemy of their main weapon, allowing shinobi to fearlessly engage without the risk of losing their jutsu. The three males who had been turned on were greatly to thank for the success, but they did not get to stand in the glory of the victory. They were equally as in danger from the army of determined cloud ninja. The blond rogue scanned the battle field as he sent more bombs to counter the last few standing machines. No word had been given about the three males being put to death, and so the artist was puzzled as to where his friend had ended up. Surely he would be equally as interested in this fight. Surely his natural fighting ability would be easily spotted among the less talented ninja.

Even Kakashi, they were too powerful to overlook and the blond had a bird's eye view of the village and battle field. He turned the white clay bird around as he soared over the land, he wanted to find them, he wanted to know neither one had gotten hurt. No matter how many times he circled the village he could not locate them. The military withdrew its men, the last few alive. Many shinobi lost their lives, but the number paled in comparison to the NWs. It was the greatest loss for Satoru and his men, and in a hasty retreat the last surviving city fighters had chosen to hide in the forests. Ninja moved out to find them, they did not tolerate anyone being a survivor.

"Deidara!" A voice called, the blond looked over his shoulder.

"Asuma," he replied landing his bird so the man could speak to him at a normal volume.

"We are heading to the city," he said. "We can end them now. We have the power to do so, look at how easily we stopped their advances. We can't give them the opportunity to gain power. We must go now. We will need you to get back in to the dome."

"Of course, it's about time," Deidara said eager to end the seemingly recurring battle. "Have you seen Orochimaru?"

"No," Asuma lied. "He likes to remain hidden if he can, he strikes when no one is looking. Word will reach him, he will come to the city and fight with us I'm sure."

Deidara took his word for it, he didn't know the man was simply saying what he knew the artist wanted to hear. Asuma needed the rogue, and so he decided the truth would be a disaster.

With the city open to attack the ninja all abandoned their nation to head to their chosen battle. Those who could not fight remained behind, although they were in equal high spirits as they watched the shinobi leave for what they assumed would be their greatest moment. The artist kept his eyes out for the two ninja he knew, he never found them.

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"Someone is coming," Kakashi alerted the other two males, Orochimaru came to stand beside him. His eyes picked up on what the large thing was.

"It's a military van," the Sannin said.

"They may have something we can steal to heal Saura," Kakashi offered.

"Is it Satoru?" Saura asked through a pained but hopeful voice. "Take me to him, he will help me I know he will."

"I don't think Satoru is here," Orochimaru said. "Only his men."

"Tell them I'm here, they'll help me they have to," Saura pleaded. The two ninja were not sure, they couldn't decide if he was being honest or if he was merely desperate.

"You betrayed them," Kakashi said rationally. "I don't think he will help."

"He doesn't know that," Saura said determinedly. "He may just think I was curious. He doesn't know I gave out his secrets, he doesn't know I knew his secrets."

The two ninja met eyes, it was their only option, even if they stole it would be useless. They didn't know how to work the technology and Saura was barely able to talk let alone able to use the devices.

"Let me go ask," Orochimaru said. "Worst case I'll kill them."

"I'll come with," Kakashi said.

"Stay with him. You look more competent than I do in terms of fighting. They'll be less fearful of just me approaching," Orochimaru said.

The copy ninja allowed it, if they attacked he would be close enough to get to his lover. Still, they were unpredictable and the Sannin approached them with great caution. He didn't know what they were capable of, but he knew they were willing to do anything to get what they wanted. When they spotted him their eye flew wide and they raised their guns, the Sannin stopped dead when he saw them. Fear gripped at his every bone, he wasn't used to having any fears and the feeling was unnatural to the serpent. The men watched him, they knew which ninja he was, the one who had escaped and caused them trouble over and over again.

"One of your men is injured, he needs your help," Orochimaru said his eyes tracing the metallic rims of the guns. The soldiers looked over at one another their weapons still raised and ready. "It's Saura, he says you will help him under your Imperials orders. He is dying."

"Where is he?" One man said, he seemed to recognize the urgency seemingly also under the impression it would be Satoru's will to see the man live.

"He ran, isn't he a traitor?" Another man stated.

"Satoru said we mustn't kill him if we find him," the first man challenged.

"He didn't say we had to risk our lives saving him," a new man added.

"I'll go then, cowards," the first man shot. He remained where he was however, going anywhere with the ninja was evidently too dangerous. Orochimaru didn't feel it right to point out if he wanted them dead he would have done so already and spared an elaborate lie.

Then again the NWs thought them to be savages it was only natural they didn't trust any of them, least of all one who had doomed them before. After a few more minutes one of the men went to the back of the van and spoke in to a metallic device. Then a voice answered, it was familiar, it was Nya.

"Satoru has confirmed you must help him and bring him home. Hand me to the ninja," Nya said once the story had been relayed. It seemed as if she was also communicating with Satoru at the same time, as if she was still asking for his command. Orochimaru looked puzzled when the man nervously handed the device to him. It was similar to a phone but it lacked a screen and instead simply had a speaker.

"Ninja- Orochimaru, correct?" Nya said she had changed her tone, she had become more respectful. Taking the device with care the Sannin watched the men move around him with machines he assumed would heal Saura. Kakashi stood at the entrance watching them come and curiously inspecting what his lover was doing.

"Nya," Orochimaru answered, she wanted something he could tell.

"Word has been sent to us by our drones. We hear you and the ninja stand on opposite sides to one another," Nya said, she got right to the point. "As it remains you and your friend are now neither one of us nor one of the ninja, you are wedged in between two armies with none of your own. We have an offer."

"We will not attack our own," Orochimaru said his voice unshaken. She paused before she spoke again.

"We would never expect you to," Nya said. "What we are offering is something different. We need your help protecting our men. The Superior has requested to see you in person. You have nothing to lose coming in to our city. You have _cured_ yourselves as to speak. Bring your friend, the Superior has a proposal he wishes to tell you in person."

"We could walk in to an ambush," Orochimaru said.

"We have little to gain by ambushing you alone. Ninja are heading our way, we have bigger matters to worry about than two rogues," Nya admitted. Satoru's voice was heard in the background as he yelled at the men in the military. He sounded stressed. It wasn't surprising, the ninja could easily destroy the entire NW civilization. He was in charge of stopping that but he had no means to do so. He would take the guilt with every building that fell down.

"Will your men escort us there?" Orochimaru asked after a moments thought.

"Of course, free safe passage," Nya said her voice jumped in hope. She had hated him, he knew that, she sounded as if she had changed her tune when her soldiers had failed and the one she detested became her only means of survival. A common enemy could make rivals unite. One of the soldiers beside the Sannin had kept up with the conversation, he approached the smaller ninja as one might a lion.

"We will take you to the city under our imperials orders," he established. The Sannin handed him back the device as he nodded. He returned to Kakashi and told him of the plan, the copy ninja seemed hesitant but he agreed it was an option they may as well try given their current situation. That and he knew that the Cloud leader was bound to order the entire slaughter of the NW city. Thinking back he had met many nicer men and women, he had seen children and it had reminded him of the weak that always got caught in between a war. It wasn't fair and the copy ninja refused to see ninja kill thousands of innocent lives. That was why Kakashi decided it was best to see if he could help. The Sannin had simply seen it as a possible means of escape. He was bound to die if he did not take the opportunity. The soldiers worked on Saura and he was healed, still the man seemed to be in shock. He wasn't equipped for war, he had no training. They got on to a helicopter that landed beside the van which the two ninja had originally spotted. It took off in a loud blast making the two ninja shift uncomfortably. It was not as natural a feeling as Sasuke's off balanced hawk and Deidara's clay birds. It did its job however and the city came in to view, from the sky the land was easy to see, when they departed they could see the ninja preparing to leave. It looked somewhat eerie when hundreds of ninja exited the island and jumped on to the sea walking across the water in a black swarm. They were so small from the height the ninja watched at, but due to their masses they appeared to cover the blue of the ocean.

The NWs were more frightened of it than the ninja, it was them who the threat was aiming at. It was their families and homes, their lives which would be forever ruined.

"I already know the proposal," Orochimaru said. "He is going to ask us to guard his men. His men will do the fighting, we must simply save the civilians."

"That isn't unreasonable," Kakashi said. "I don't think the civilians should get harmed."

"Yes, but that being said the ninja will see it as the final betrayal," Orochimaru said. "We will quite literally be standing on the enemies side."

"The innocence of the city is not my enemy, it shouldn't be theirs either," Kakashi said his stare some what angered. The anger was not directed at the serpent who knew that fact well. It was angry that the world was such a cruel unjustified place. "But I know what you are saying. If that is what they think so be it. I honestly don't know how to feel about this, I want to honour my village, I want to be a good shinobi, but that contradicts itself when I aim my blade at a citizen."

"My dear pleasing the world is not near possible. And being in a nation does not mean you are a good shinobi. I know awful me who are nation bound and good men who are rogues. You don't get your morals from anyone else but yourself. If you truly want to help those who need it then perhaps this is your chance to not be a member of any one place. Save whoever you deem needs saving," Orochimaru said. "You can't do what is right if you are doing what others tell you to do."

The copy ninja had never seen it like that, he had been taught rogues where bad people and that it was a dishonour. His father flashed in to his mind. He had done what was right and he was scorned for it. Perhaps the village did not always do what was best. Perhaps there was more truth to what the snake said.

"Are you suggesting we be rogue after this?" Kakashi asked, he didn't have any answers himself this time around, so he wanted to know the others opinion. He often saw ways out of impossible situations.

"You love your home," Orochimaru said. "If it loved you it would forgive you for doing what you thought was right. If that is the case then you can blend the two worlds of morals and order. If it is not then you must choose between what is right and what you want."

"What do you want?" Kakashi asked.

"To live without war and to exist without judgement," Orochimaru said. "But ultimately to see you no longer bound by your own guilt. You can't be perfect, if you let someone down it is not to say you didn't do all you could. Do what's best at the time my love, don't let others hold you hostage by using your kind nature against you."

"You give me too much credit," Kakashi laughed lightly.

"You give yourself too little," Orochimaru replied with a serious expression, he never cared for people, but when he did he cared deeply. "To answer your question of right now, I say we help the NWs. The ninja will kill us on the spot. I'm not certain the city will withstand an attack, we can make it so they do. The ninja will go home to plan their next advance and the NW city may stand a chance at survival. Then maybe once there is a moments pause we try make a negotiation."

Kakashi admired his ability to rationalize in even the darkest hours. It was something he never thought he would manage, he let grief get to him so quickly.

"Of course. We can try convince the NW army and the ninja to stop warring, we can try living in a separated harmony," Kakashi said, Orochimaru gave him a look that stated it was idealistic.

"Or at least that we can ignore one another's existence," Orochimaru said adding a sense of realism to the sentiment. The copy ninja nodded, he supposed it was more likely.

The flying machine landed when it reached the city and they allowed the soldiers to disembark first. The ninja were nervous as they exited, or at least the copy ninja was, from what he could see his lover had no hint of worry, not until he spotted a gun. Saura was helped out the chopper and despite no longer having any injuries he seemed to somewhat limp, almost as if his mind couldn't keep up with the process of everything. They were lead somewhere they had never been before, the city they landed in was not the one they were originally held captured inside. It was far greener and the buildings appeared far more advanced than the others. The streets they moved through were clean and large statues marked many parks. What was most mentionable was the large expanse of green leading up to a giant castle like building.

"Orochimaru, Kakashi," Satoru said as he elegantly propelled himself down from his own chopper his cape dancing its usual elaborate way. He strode to them with the hint of stress marring his features, Nya exited after him. "Glad you chose to come. At least some civility remains between us. May I lead you to the Superior then."

"We hope civility runs both ways," Orochimaru said. "The army approaches, I think it's best we speed this along."

"Of course, come this way," Satoru said as he took the lead. They followed unquestioningly, they got in to a car to drive through the expanse of garden, driving along a paved stone road running up to the domain. It was a grand entrance the ninja acknowledged, but they both agreed it was a waste of space. No one needed such a garden. They supposed it was the natural greed of the NW society.

They got to the entrance where they left the car behind to enter the marble hall, it was decorated in everything one would expect royalty to acquire. The curtains draped and the carpets had no trace of dirt. It was pristine in every sense and the furniture was all expensive looking rather than well chosen. The ninja didn't really see the value in material things, Orochimaru would be more impressed with a well-stocked library and the copy ninja a safe looking training ground. They thought practically. They were given a small tour of the apparent house until they reached a grand looking door with an even grander looking handle. Satoru knocked a few times and then opened signalling the ninja do as he did, he bowed by dipping his head and upper body. The Superior watched him pleased by the formal greeting. Kakashi dipped his head with slightly less formality, it was clear he was doing it only because it was what the man wanted and he thought it to be so trivial he didn't much care. The serpent didn't even bother try, he refused to bow to the man. After all that was all he was. He didn't look grand no matter how long this cape hung down, the blue fabric must have cost a great sum, the words NW marked on the back in a satiny blue. He was tall in stature, but he was nothing worth respecting, he was not the Sannins leader. The Hokage himself could not get the snakes respect. A title meant very little to the serpent, he would only give you due respect, and he was yet to hear anything great of the man.

Satoru passed the serpent nervous eyes, Nya seemed to want to laugh. She met eyes with the serpent and Orochimaru could only best describe her stare as encouraging and grateful. She seemed to think the action perfect, evidently she praised Satoru and didn't fancy the king of kings.

"Lord Superior," Satoru said. "These are the two ninja now rogues of their own kind capable of saving us from the rest of their people. Orochimaru, Kakashi, we want to offer you a compromise for your help."

The Imperial now smaller looking beside the other mans arrogance stepped away to allow his father to do as he wished. Orochimaru looked away from Nya and resisted the urge to smile, he had thought her a fool before, but now he saw she may have more to her. At the very least she did not kiss the mans feet because of a title. Saura entered the room after knocking once, he seemed rather nervous as his eyes flittered between everyone, namely the apparent Superior.

"Lord Superior." Saura greeted coming to stand by the other two NWs. The two ninja wondered if he regretted ever leaving the safe walls. He had certainly doomed his own kind and while doing so doomed himself.

"Ninja, as I'm sure you've been told we wish to make a compromise. Your people hate you, wish to see you dead. My people and I simply want to live," the Superior said. "To fare well in this attack we need all the aid we can get. Do not underestimate my military, we do not _need_ you to survive this, but we certainly would do better being your friend than your enemy."

The arrogance in his voice almost made the serpent refuse the deal. Thankfully Kakashi spoke.

"We will not strike our own men down. We will defend your citizens and your borders. We want to stop this from becoming a battle, but since that isn't possible we will settle for ending it quickly with as few casualties as possible. If we do this, we want your agreement that you will leave the ninja alone from here on out. If our people cannot coexist, if we fight over superiority, then it is best we come to a peace treaty," Kakashi said, he was calm and confident. "You can leave it up to us to negotiate with the ninja once they return to Cloud. That is our only request and we refuse anything other than that."

"My people always place _Lord Superior_ before they address me," the Superior said, as if it were the important part of the sentence. Kakashi didn't care about his rudeness, he just wanted an agreement, his lover however didn't tolerate it. A hiss entered the room and silenced it.

"We are not _your_ people," Orochimaru stated.

"Orochimaru, you and I will struggle being allies I can see, " the Superior said. "You do not know how to respect people above you. Your friend and I will hopefully make you realize the error in your ways, for now let's get back to what is important."

"You are the leader of my people's greatest foe-" the Sannin was cut off.

"They're no longer _your_ people either. May you remember that. You are alone, we need you but you certainly need us," the Superior said.

"We have differing views on that. We didn't wish to see your men fall to the hands of ninja because of bad leadership," the Sannin said taking a fully intended jab at the mans faults as the commander. "If you are so arrogant as to rather demand a title than aid then perhaps we should take our leave. Either respect us as equals or this conversation ends here."

It was clear the Superior wasn't used to people speaking back, his pride was almost exploding out of him. However the Sannin had locked him in to only two choices, losing the ninja that despite his lie he desperately needed, or else lower himself off his high horse. He chose a third option.

"I accept your proposal Kakashi," he said now ignoring the serpents presence. They supposed avoiding the Sannin was the only way he wouldn't lose to him. After all since winning wasn't an option he may as well deny him the chance to beat him by pulling out. The serpent wouldn't allow it.

"I won't tolerate being avoided, answer my request it comes before our answer. You claim to be the leader of these people," Orochimaru said folding his arms over his chest. "You cannot avoid the argument because you cannot win, as you cannot avoid this war because you share a similar fate. Do we stand on common ground or should me and my _friend_ leave."

It was clear the man was irked, he most likely usually got his way and avoided what he wanted to. Meaning he was not at all used to losing, a feeling that he clearly wasn't on good grounds with. He seemed speechless as the snake watched him, his words cutting. Satoru jumped to his fathers defence, Nya had a glint of utter satisfaction in her eyes.

"The Superior means no disrespect and I'm sure neither do you. Everyone here is equal, war waits for no one so let us agree now and go on our separate ways," Satoru said dropping his own pride for the sake of the older mans. "We accept your deal, and we thank you for the aid. At the end of this war you are safe in our borders. We will stay far from the lands of the ninja and they must stay far from us. That will be the arrangement. Never shall we cross paths again."

"We accept that. I assume you will release all the ninja in your custody as well?" Orochimaru asked his mind flashing to all the faces he had run into along the way.

"Yes," Satoru said. "Every single one."

"Then if you're both agreeing to this we will go plan to help stop the advancement of the army," Orochimaru said. Kakashi glanced over to see what the Superior was doing. He was angry and didn't know how to compose that. Evidently he did not like the fact that the Sannin had not backed down to his whim. He had underestimated the small ninja, he had seen his seemingly weak build and expected it to be the same inwards. It was quite the opposite. A fiery spirit trapped in a deceptive slim figure. The two ninja parted ways with the man when the contract was sealed, they needed to assess just how bad the situation was. Nya met them outside just as Saura did. They glared at one another, almost in a manner of sibling rivalry. Orochimaru and Kakashi halted their advancements, Orochimaru knew there was one thing he wanted to do before they proceeded. He had not forgotten about Manda in the military base, since Nya was here he decided he would request it now.

"Can you release Manda?" Orochimaru asked, the woman looked at him, she didn't hold as much resentment, somewhere he had earned her trust when he agreed to their terms without conforming to their will.

"Your summoning, if he will aid us and not target us in revenge then of course," Nya said. "I came here to give you this, it will allow you free pass in the city. You're under our protection now, Satoru wishes to discuss war strategy with you as soon as you're done planning yourselves."

"We shouldn't need to discuss plans there is only one way to go about this. We want to assess the cities and see how we will evacuate your civilians. That is top priority. We can go to the ninja before they reach you and try to persuade them that there will be no need for war," Orochimaru said his calculating eyes meeting the women's easily, she nodded.

"All right, I will inform the Imperial. We have bomb shelters, will that work as a sanctuary to safe keep our men for the time being?" Nya asked.

"If it is out of the way then yes, any place they can't be caught in between our armies," Orochimaru said. "There is one issue remaining. What do we do about the shinobi inside the dome? If we give them back the ninja may be more inclined to believe us, however if we give them back the shinobi army will technically grow tremendously, if they decide to fight regardless the odds are stacked against this city."

"Perhaps we split the ninja and citizens up in to different bomb shelters? If the ninja don't attack we release them, if they do we ward them off and wait until they agree before releasing them," Kakashi offered.

"We will have to convince the ninja in the bomb shelter as well, or they may rise up when we free them," Orochimaru acknowledged. "But yes that is the only way."

Nya and Saura allowed them to finish as it was clear they understood ninja warfare much better than they could ever hope to. Once they were done Nya confirmed that she would report back to the Imperial. It was now up to the two ninja to head to the army. News reports spread, the citizens would be relocated on their masses as would the ninja.

The military worked tirelessly to get it done quickly, they didn't want anyone left in the city. It was inevitable that there would be casualties, the poorer class was seen to last naturally and the ninja could only pity them. They could do no more as they had a job to do which if succeeded could save them in the process.

"Stay safe," Saura said in farewell as he walked them to the gate. The ninja met his eyes, he had more to say but the words seemed to never reach his tongue.

"And to you," Kakashi said.

"If things go our way this will not be our final moment together," Orochimaru said trying his best to keep up a sense of optimism.

"But in case it is," Saura said, he paused. "Thank you, for treating me as a ninja when I never managed to show you we were equals. Our lack of humanity earned us no favours and yet you stand by our side. For all its worth you have changed my way of thinking, and soon enough maybe you will change the cities. I'd be honoured if we met again."

"Then make it so," Orochimaru said with a kind smile, "I want to see you after this war Saura."

Saura nodded gratefully, his need to be one of the ninja, their abilities glorified in his mind, made him finally see eye to eye with them. One out of the thousands, it was a great step regardless. The NW watched the ninja leave as they said what they hoped would not be forever.

They leapt through the branches, the NW technology was most certainly faster than going on foot and it took far less energy. The ninja still preferred their own methods but that was probably due to familiarity. They were gaining on the army, they could hear the heavy sound of thousands of feet hitting the earth in a determined and confident stride. They sounded ready to kill.

Authors note- this story is coming to a close soon, hope everyone who is reading is enjoying it so far! Let me know in the comment section, and thank you to the guest who posted on the last chapter, I'm glad you do not mind the OC's I generally don't like adding them but I don't like changing Canon characters personalities for the sake of my story so making a new guy play the part rests easier for me! Thank you for the lovely words though! I enjoyed it.

And as always a huge thank you to Vampiredoll666! Still being awesome as ever!


	19. Sleep well my love

_"_ _And I don't know what breaks my heart more. that people never change, or that they do."_

It was a daunting prospect, on the one had the two ninja knew that every man amid the masses wanted their heads. They could not simply avoid the danger either, they had to try make a deal, they had to do the impossible and stop thousands with their words alone. With every step they took they grew weary, they had no optimism, returning to the city and preparing for battle seemingly now a better option. However not trying would result in the confirmation of total war, something neither ninja wanted to have to deal with again. They donned black cloaks which they drew tightly over their heads as they attempted to remain unidentified. They had decided they would talk to Asuma, it was Kakashi's choice, the Sannin didn't feel comfortable but he had seen just how deeply the other Jonin cared for his friend. They had decided to ask Asuma to deliver the message to the Riakage, for if the leader saw the rogues he may simply order their death. Asuma would do no such thing as alerting everyone would mean Kakashi would also be staring death in the face. Orochimaru drew close to his lovers side, his nerves were rattled and his breathing was only calm by his last grasp at composure. The copy ninja took the lead to reassure the other ninja, he walked unnoticed amid the crowds until finally Asuma had slipped slightly behind the other leaders, both rogues advanced.

Orochimaru glanced up, a few feet above the army Deidara and Sasuke rode atop their birds. They seemed to be speaking although it was very clear it was not friendly conversation. They drifted to the back as they debated something, the Sannin knew the blond hated any sharigan wielder. When he looked ahead again he realized they were upon the leaf Jonin, he turned his eyes to them and once he had glanced under their hoods he caught his own breath. He didn't even seem angry to see the snake, he was more relieved to see the copy ninja.

"You're alive," he said. He truly had attempted to convince the Riakage to spare Kakashi, although at the time the man didn't take it well. And it was only natural, he didn't care for his own life as much as he did for the serpents, it was a meaningless show of kindness.

"If I wish to remain alive then you have to promise to not alert anyone," Kakashi said. "Please, we have news that could stop a war from ever needing to take place."

Cautiously the man glanced between both ninja he slowed his pace so that he drifted even further behind the leaders. No one paid them any attention, after all Asuma had made sure he was now to the side of the group walking near him. The two rogues could not be identified beneath their cloaks in the rain, the bad weather did them a great justice.

"Talk quickly Hatake. I won't call you out but I can't speak for anyone else," Asuma said with concern ringing true.

"I know," Kakashi said. "The NWs have requested a peace treaty. They will release all the ninja if we agree to never cross paths again. No one has to die, that is the way a ninja should want it. Revenge is surely not our goal, it's returning what is ours along with order."

The taller man contemplated it briefly, he then shook his head almost as if he were about to laugh.

"No. They're afraid of us," Asuma said. "I don't think they deserve a second chance. We should eradicate them. We failed to do so last time and it resulted in them coming back once they had rebuilt."

"That's not true," Orochimaru said softly, he knew the other didn't value his opinion but he felt compelled to say it anyway. "We killed one of their major cities. That was not the end of the war, it was the beginning and we only now reach the closing point. We cannot be targeted by their technology it is not as big a risk. Before we thought only to kill them off, we had no idea it was not the entire civilization. We have spoken to the Superior, he has agreed, he knows he cannot beat us."

"That is the only reason he wants to speak of peace now," Asuma said bitterly. "If the tables were turned they would make no such offer."

"They had bad leaders, but they are not all bad," Kakashi said. "We cannot kill innocent men and women because of what may have happened. It was always out of their control, it will always be out of their control. Now that we have the choice should we not make the moral one?"

"It's not up to me," Asuma finally said. "How do you want me to go about this? If I tell the Riakage he will know I've spoken to you."

"We wanted to speak to you in person in case we needed to elaborate," Orochimaru said, he drew a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to the man. "But for the sake of our lie simply hand them that letter and say one of our summonings brought it here."

Asuma took it when no one was looking so that he truly could pretend. The two rogues stayed to hear the answer still blending in with the crowd. Orochimaru for the sake of the act summoned a small messenger snake discretely and allowed it to be seen once he had moved away from it. The eyes that noticed it assumed as planned that Asuma had retrieved the scroll from the serpent. One man from the army stamped his foot at the reptile and it hissed and turned to smoke.

"What was that for idiot?" a woman snapped. She looked at Asuma, she was one of the leading shinobi it appeared and she analysed his expression. He pretended to scan the letter over as quickly as he could only glancing at keywords as he did so. He then called to the Riakage. Kakashi and Orochimaru had drifted further back as they attempted to both see and not be seen themselves. The Cloud leader read it and then in a haunting moment he singed the paper with a blast of blue.

"A mockery to the deaths they've already caused," he said aloud.

"They won't listen," Orochimaru whispered to the copy ninja. Asuma nodded.

"So we reject their offer?" Asuma asked to make sure the Sannin and Kakashi both knew for certain.

"I won't stop until every building lays in ruin," the leader said. And that was that, when Asuma looked back in to the crowd the two lovers were gone their figures haven disappeared as seamlessly as they had arrived. Orochimaru and Kakashi leapt ahead of the army as they were not traveling in a large group and could quicken their pace without worrying about leaving members behind.

"This is a disaster," Kakashi said.

"I knew it would be so," Orochimaru muttered.

"We need to get back before them," Kakashi said.

"At the rate they move it'll take them about an hour or less," the Sannin said with an edge of worry.

"Then we have to be faster," Kakashi said. They were not traveling too much quicker than the army, they would only make it there a few minutes earlier. In war that was not good enough, the city needed to be warned of it for nothing more than to brace themselves.

"Then that's what we shall do," Orochimaru said as he lifted his hand to his fanged mouth before slicing his own finger with his teeth. He used the small trickled of blood and ran it down his arm before stopping to place a hand on the ground. Seals snaked across the earth before a great mass of smoke arrived around a colossal serpent.

Manda looked at his summoner with a questioning eye, he would have only just recently been released. His anger should still have been fresh but he remained fixed on his caller.

"We need to get back to the city as quickly as possible," Orochimaru said. The copy ninja was always weary of the purple giant. He seemed unreliable and stubborn. Regardless the Sannin appeared to have an endless amount of trust in all his summons. The emerald eyed monster opened his mouth to reveal his giant fangs, the ninja army had certainly seen the snake, he was large and he crushed half the trees nearby. It didn't matter, they didn't plan on staying long and they were all going to the same place. Being seen would make no difference. The rogues took refuge in the serpents mouth and he burrowed beneath the surface of the land as he tunnelled to the city. He was incredibly fast and it was only moments before they arrived at the gates where the guards looked slightly nervous to see the giant. The summoning met eyes with the men, the men who had detained him. Orochimaru placed a grateful hand on the beast and it hissed down at him. Although everyone else took it as a threatening display the Sannin found a different meaning.

"Say what you will Manda," Orochimaru said as if he understood the hiss. "You are not as cold as you try to be. Thank you."

"Will you stand against the village boy?" Manda asked his large eye moving backwards to look at the approaching threat.

"I have no choice," Orochimaru said.

"Then I will stay, for old times sake," Manda said. "May this war end better than the last we fought."

"I have no means of getting you sacrifices when this is over," Orochimaru said with amused eyes. He used to reward the summoning with countless men's lives, that was no longer an option since the copy ninja frowned upon him doing such things.

"Then you should be even more grateful for my help child," Manda hissed a smile spread across his long muzzle. Orochimaru took his hand off the creatures large face, he needed to send word to the Imperial. It was the last thing he could do now before they were forced to engage. He looked at the city, there were so many still panicking in the streets, they would all die, he could almost assure them that. They left the snake at the gate as he would not fit in the village without destroying it. Satoru was waiting for them with hopeful eyes, upon meeting their dark ones he shifted uncomfortably.

"They said no?" Satoru asked.

"They will be here soon," Kakashi admitted.

"Only some of our citizens are safe," Satoru said.

"We have an hour at best but let us see what we can do to assist you," Orochimaru said as he turned for the city, they would have to aid the less fortunate.

"We have no more space to house them," Nya said coming in morbidly. "We made sure all the ninja were placed away but we prepared shelters only for our men. Since much of that room was used for captured ninja not all of our people have a place to hide."

"Then that is their fate," Satoru said with a distressed face. "We have nothing else to do but wait for the ninja to come."

"What will happen if the ninja win?" Saura asked as he approached them.

"They want us all dead. I assume they will only stop fighting once that is accomplished," Satoru said, they hadn't seen him so grim. The NW had been foolish when they thought they could utilize the ninja. They had thought that eventually with enough time they would successfully tame the _savage_ breed of human. It had now been proven a childish ideal. They would pay for it dearly. Kakashi watched them dejectedly, they had done wrong yes, and of course those who had willingly been involved in the crimes deserved what they got when the tables turned. But many were simply following orders and listening to those they were forced to listen to. There were those who opened their doors to help the ninja out the cold, who hid them when they needed refuge and taught them how to work in the complex new world. There were children who had no yet lived and adults who were not yet done living. They did not deserve to be killed when the option of them surviving was so attainable. The NW had requested an unconditional surrender, they would agree to drop everything and revert to a peaceful way of being. The ninja felt they were owed something for the wrongs committed against them. Kakashi wished it was not blood they sought.

"What can we do?" Saura asked not seeing the hopeless situation as over. Not because he was brave but quite the opposite. He was too afraid to admit it was how it was.

"We fight," Nya said. "We do as much damage as we can and leave the offer of peace on the table. Hopefully they will see it as too much of a loss and agree to the terms."

"We will fight on your side defending your men," Kakashi said. "However we will not help with the killing of anyone."

"It's all we ask of you," Satoru said, there were screams echoing the area. The group fell silent, war had come with death following closely behind. Manda screeched as he saw the army, he was enticed with the battle as he didn't know how to fear. The army did not take long and soon many ninja descended through holes in the dome as Deidara bombed it relentlessly with the aid of others equipped to do such mass damage. Orochimaru had wanted to call the blond when they had approached Asuma but he had been by Sasuke, that would have gotten them caught.

"Fate be with you ninja," Satoru said. "Fare well in this fight."

"As to you Imperial, Lieutenant," Orochimaru said, Nya saluted him as if he was one of her own soldiers, or more so as if he was one of the Imperials. She then gave the same level of respect to the copy ninja before she turned to get on to a chopper one hand resting on her gun. The two rogues turned to the swarms entering the city. It would be a truly devastating battle.

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Screams had died down, the citizens who were alive were a deathly silent as they huddled with the few survivors who remained. If there had ever been hope it had long since been buried by tragedy. Orochimaru held his blade in his hand, they wouldn't stop, they wouldn't try and reason. It was the darkest hours he had ever seen. Kakashi stayed by his side a hint of being lost tracing his eyes. They watched as ninja slit the throats of soldiers, and as soldier put bullets through the shinobi. The two ninja could not glance around without seeing masses of blood. They had tried to simply defend the city, but the ninja would not allow it. Soon enough the two rogues had ended up engaging in the battle as well, not because they were targeting anyone of any nation but simply because many would group up and attempt to kill them. Snakes slipped back in to the Sannins sleeve as he looked over at Kakashi, the man was locked on to Manda who snapped his giant jaws at the shinobi who tried to enter the dome, they kept coming, they never ended. The two rogues stood by a frightened group of NW citizens, they begged and pleaded, they prayed and wept. It was all they could do as the Sannin and copy ninja stood guard. They had done this for many NWs and they waited until a helicopter arrived and moved the people away. It wasn't clear if they were crying for relief or if the tragedy was something they would never let go.

Once the innocent group was gone the two ninja moved off, buildings erupted in to smoke as their great forms were brought down. At some point both of the ninja had thought about destroying the city, they had used it as motivation to break free, the actual event itself made them realize they were mistaken to have ever thought they'd enjoy it. The colossal serpent in the background was taking damage and Orochimaru did not want to see it be so any more.

"I'm going to Manda. He is not doing anything but getting hurt and this is not his battle," Orochimaru said as the sound of the serpents screeches sounded in the distance. Kakashi nodded.

"I will look for more citizens," Kakashi said. "Once Manda is gone come find me."

"Watch yourself," Orochimaru said, he moved to his lover and pecked him before turning away. He didn't say it, but it was an impossible fight and they had sided with the losing party. It may very well be their last kiss and so he had stolen the memory to keep. He liked to collect things, he had a habit of not being good at letting them go. It was why death had frightened him, it was why war had always made him revert back to a shell of himself. Humans were too fragile, everything was too fragile. The copy ninja was left behind and the Sannin evaded ninja, he didn't want to kill them despite being capable of it. He leapt out the way as a nearby building was brought down, the city was crumbling rather literally. As he made his way to his summoning he heard someone call to him.

"Oro-chan," The voice was defeated and yet calm, the Sannin halted as he threw his golden eyes back. In the rain it was hard to see who was calling to him, as he made his way closer he realized the said person was stuck. Orochimaru skidded down the side of a building them paused when he saw what lay in front of him.

"My god, don't move," he ordered as he rushed to the mans side, Saura was stuck under one of the fallen pillars, whatever part of him was beneath the brick was likely nothing more than a blood stain now. The Sannin tried his best not to look like he knew there was nothing to do, the mans lower body was gone, along with half his arm and a bit of his shoulder.

"It won't make a difference," Saura said. "I'm not that stupid, I won't make it and I'm not going to try to."

"Don't be a fool," Orochimaru said, he was harsh, he was harsh because he didn't want the other to say what he knew to be true. "We just need to heal you- we just-"

"There's nothing to heal Oro-chan," Saura said. "Tell Kakashi I'm sorry, I didn't get to do it myself. Tell the Superior I hate him, and tell Satoru I see him as a brother- when I'm gone ask Kakashi to tell you what I always wanted to say but even now can't manage to."

"What are you talking about Saura, I won't let you die," Orochimaru said as he looked around rain beating down harshly even in the others pain, nature stopped for no one. It would consume the corpse once it was over and nothing more.

"If it were in your hands then maybe not," Saura said. He smiled as blood traced some of his face. He wasn't a good man the Sannin acknowledged, he wasn't selfless he wasn't merciful and he was far from perfect. That was what made him so tragically human. He deserved every right to live, he deserved to exist imperfect. He was no good man but he was more human than the ninja who had harmed him could ever hope to be.

"Ninja don't give up, you want to be a ninja don't you," Orochimaru said again trying his best to make the man keep a will to live. Once he thought it to be over it was, there would be nothing the Sannin or any other mortal could do.

"More than anything," Saura said his eye were fading but he seemed content with his final moments. The Sannin couldn't grasp it, no final moments could be worth it. One life was all anyone got, only so many times did they circle the sun on the small almost unimportant planet they called home.

"Then don't stop trying to live," Orochimaru said, he was beside the man as the rain washed blood from under the rubble and pillar out and on to the Sannin's clothes. Saura wasn't buying it, he was dying and the serpent could do nothing but watch. He had been here too many times, nothing. That was what he could do. That was the extent of him. Even now, he stood a legend, an elite among the legions of ninja, and he could do nothing. Being a Genin was no different from being the status of a Kage when he could still only watch everyone pass around him.

"I hope this war comes to an end, I hope you find a way out," Saura said, he was almost rambling as death closed its cold hands around him. Orochimaru forced himself to accept the fact, he could not change it, he never could.

"You died a true shinobi," Orochimaru said his eyes holding little emotion which in itself told the man he would at the very least be missed. "A ninja is not judged on how he lived, but on what he died for."

That was what his teacher had taught him, it was the lesson Jiraiya had always carried close. Perhaps the Sannin said it to console the man, to let him die satisfied and fulfilled. He didn't know if he believed the words to be true himself, did it matter what others thought of you when you were dead? He didn't think so. When they were alive at least they could get something from others judgements, when they were dead it meant nothing. Regardless, he wanted to console the dying, it was not the serpents moment to be sad, that would come after. Orochimaru realized that the man had tried to respond but time had not been so kind to him, it had cut him off, it had made his eyes dull and his mouth hang slightly open in confirmation of his passing. The Sannin stayed there for a few moments, he didn't think of anything as nothing seemed to make him grasp the gravity of what had happened. He got to his feet as if another force was making him do so. He hadn't processed everything yet, it was all reminding him too much of when he was in all his other wars. The horrors of the past flashed back and he held on to a broken building. He got up with Saura's blood staining his clothes as he headed for what he had originally been aiming for. It seemed all too pointless when he had been coldly reminded of what death had actually brought upon the two worlds. A shinobi aimed his blade at a soldier in the distance. Orochimaru hissed as he raised his sword and countered the man.

"Bastard," he said as the metal of his weapon sliced a clean cut instantly killing the man. The corpse fell down and the soldier took a few moments to get up afterwards, he seemed defeated, as if although he was grateful to not have died in that moment he knew it would only be a matter of time. He yelled a thank you as he joined the rest of his crew in stopping the terror the shinobi had brought forth that day. Manda screamed out again in fury and pain forcing the Sannin to realize he was getting distracted.

 _Humans are fragile_.

It was the same words he had been plagued with by the last war, they seemed to always come up when he witnessed death of someone he knew. They seemed to be waiting in the shadows of his haunted mind, they tried to consume him waiting to corrupt his morals further. They did their best to remind him that it was all meaningless and at the same time everything that you may think did matter would surely be over soon anyway. Useless. Everything was useless.

"Orochimaru," the voice called to him softly, he turned around to see the copy ninja watching him with concern marring his features. He took a step forwards, the serpent realized he hadn't moved away from the corpse, he was frozen in his own inability to grasp war once more. He had thought that after all these years he had become somewhat immune, he bragged about not feeling, he stood out as a talented shinobi for being able to look such horrors in the eyes and walk on.

He had thought being older and more accustomed would make it easier. He had been greatly mistaken, it had served to make it worse, it had worn him down and the predator running him in circles could finally sink its teeth into his throat and finish him off. A long never ending cycle of turmoil and grief, how arrogant the serpent was too assume he could out run what no man ever did.

"What's wrong," Kakashi placed a hand on his lovers shoulder before slipping it down to the small of his back to draw him in. He was more than worried, the Sannin could feel it in his body, the tension, the obvious sign of being petrified for the one he loved. The serpent hadn't said a word, his eyes could barely remain fixed on the man holding him. He had gone mute in his moment of utter weakness, he didn't like admitting he was breaking down and so he almost denied himself the right, instead falling into an abyss of doing nothing at all.

"He's sorry," the Sannin finally said abruptly. "I don't know what for, but he's sorry."

"Who is?" Kakashi asked gently meeting his partners shaken golden eyes, their intensity returned.

"I'm fighting them," Orochimaru said, it felt as if he was more confirming something in his own head.

"Tell me what happened," Kakashi said trying to make sense of it.

"The ninja, those bastards, those hypocrites," he hissed. "He's dead, and all he did was help them. I'm born a ninja but I don't owe them anything, and now I'll show them that."

The copy ninja tried to work it out for himself, there was only one person he could think of who had both helped and been betrayed by the shinobi. That same person may very well have muttered his apologies in his dying breath.

"He died a true shinobi," Kakashi said his dark eyes dropping for a moment as he processed the fact that someone he knew had died. It didn't matter that he did not like the man, it was always strange when death brought about a change.

"He died," Orochimaru hissed. "That's the extent of it. He is a true shinobi for the moment we say it, after that he is rotting beneath a building. No one remembers any of the true shinobi we title in the moment of death. It's sick, it's sick to make men die for a useless string of words that mean nothing at all. They trick us, that's what we are taught. To value everyone above ourselves, to sacrifice everything we love for the sake of the greater good. There is no greater good when it requires sacrifice."

"It's all right," Kakashi said he hugged the smaller males shaking form, it could have been the raw anger inside him, it sounded that way, at the same time the copy ninja knew it was the grief mixed in to it. He didn't know how to handle grief and so he handled it badly. "It's sick, it's wrong and yes perhaps they tricked us all. But we can accomplish a greater good if we are not ourselves blinded by an emotion."

He didn't know if he thought the shinobi nations tricked their youth in to going out to die, maybe he was still just brainwashed. Either way he was willing to say anything to get the snake to calm down, he was irrational and he didn't want him getting hurt over what could not be changed. The shaking of the other stopped as he steadied his breathing, golden eyes looked up into calmer black ones.

"We have to stop them," Orochimaru said, he had a new found determination the spark of an idea glinting in his still slightly glazed eyes. "I have a plan."

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Gasps echoed the city when the mighty sight revealed itself. No one knew what side the mysterious beast belonged to. An eight headed serpent, one many had seen before, but there was something different now. Blue see through armour coated it, a mask covering its long face making it that much more battle worthy, the transparent armour allowed for the fighter to meet eyes with the white serpents elegant features beneath the blue glow. The armour covered the entire hydra, spiral like patterns marking certain areas where the armour was bound together. Giant angelic wings came up behind the beast in the same transparent blue colouring, they moved rythmatically to the serpents breathing as eight heads assessed the now small looking city. Kakashi sat on one of the hydras heads maintaining the blue armour with his sharigan, he had never thought of combining the two, but now that the two elite shinobi had they were a sight to be seen. The feathery like wings marking the sign of an angel, the snake like eyes reminding them of the devil within. The blue of the Susanoo was scary alone, it was now that much more fearsome. Orochimaru hissed gently, Manda turned to look at the larger figure. He had never seen his summoner transform and he had never known a serpent bigger than he. He was injured and one of the nearer heads of the hydra looked over at the loyal summon to signal he did not have to stay any longer.

The large white tail coated in blue swished back and forth lightly as it avoided smashing what lay around it. Ninja held their breath as did the soldiers of the city. Of course the shinobi thought they had more to fear, they had been the ones who had attempted to kill the two rogues. They had been the ones to banish them without fair trial. The golden eyes did not look angered, they seemed calm. The ninja could only hope the two were not thinking of eliminating them, since they were afraid they reacted badly. Ninja engaged once again, some aiming for the hydra. Although there were many they did not seem to be harming the armoured snake which was protected by his lovers unique ability. The blue sent out lightening of the same colour which stretched across the plain to target ninja who tried to kill the NWs. At the same time eight massive heads broke up battles between the soldiers. It had only been moments before that the shinobi had an outright victory, now it seemed as if the odds were greatly out of their favour. It had taken everyone who was present a few seconds to remember they were in the middle of war, the fight continued but they had changed in energy, it was once defeated now hope was restored as was adrenalin and fury. There was a new shift to the battle and even the ninja had been made more blood lusted from it, Deidara swooped down from his bird, he hadn't seen his friend but now he had. He couldn't fathom why he was blocking the ninja off at every turn.

"Orochimaru what are you doing?!" The blond yelled as his bird hovered beside one of the great heads. A large eye snapped towards him when the serpent recognized the voice.

"The ninja are not fighting for their freedom anymore, they are fighting for revenge. Hate only breeds more hate," the raspy hiss echoed the skies. The blond rogue wasn't understanding the complexity of his statement, he was unaware of the proposal that had been coldly rejected.

"You're one of us not them," he tried again.

"I'm neither one of you or them," the voice said again with the over laying sound of a snakes hiss still making it different to the Sannins usual voice. His large tail banged down beside ninja to force them away from a group of soldiers. "The NW have called for an unconditional surrender. The ninja have ignored the request, we could have our worlds restored to normal without the need for more blood, but revenge corrupts these shinobi, they will not let it be so."

"When was the proposal made?" Deidara asked angrily, he hated being misinformed and tricked.

"Before you entered the city," Orochimaru hissed as his head snapped a shinobi out the sky as he attempted to use one of the given clay birds to harm the snakes face.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have never let them enter the dome!" Deidara said, he wasn't angry with the Sannin but it ended up being directed at him inadvertently.

"They wanted me dead," the hiss was low as slitted eyes reverted to the men fighting below.

"What is the plan then?" The blond asked no longer allowing his bombs to go off, the birds rejected those who tried to mount them and they spiralled in to the sky before detonating, rendering their radius ineffective and causing no damage.

The rain cascaded down the hydra as it did the buildings that stood. Kakashi moved from the one large head to the next as he maintained the blue powerful glow.

"We will drive the ninja out, make them realize this fight it not worth it," Kakashi said as he came up. "If they come to their sense we can finally accept the unconditional surrender."

"Then let me help you speed things along hm," the blond said as he turned his bird around. He circled the skies as he divided the NW and ninja. It would have been idealistic to simply split the fighting parties without any casualties. The best the trio could do was cause as little damage as possible. Ninja were injured and they were being pushed back before they knew it, they had been over confident during the fight when they had the upper hand, however now they faced a monstrous problem. Kakashi directed the Sannin from the top, he kept his eyes on the field as he played strategist. He commanded each head separately by hopping on to the one he chose to command, it was difficult and tiring but he had little other way of communicating with the giant hydra. It wasn't long before the ninja were realizing their own mistake of turning on the rogues as powerful as they were. They were fearsome alone, when they combined their strengths they were near indestructible. One army could never hope to beat them.

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"Can you see it?" The Superior asked as he gazed out from his elaborate mansion, many had requested he go to a safer place far from the battle, but he refused out of pure arrogance. He wanted to witness his men either live or die, he didn't believe his forces could lose.

"Yes Lord Superior," Satoru said, he needed answers, he needed the mans okay on his next advance, it was a pity he didn't take matters as seriously as he should have.

"That is Orochimaru and Kakashi correct? The ones on our side?" The Superior asked. The Imperial looked at his father worriedly, he dared to say it was true, but he was equally as fearful to withhold the information.

"Yes Lord Superior," Satoru said reluctantly.

"Well then, since our surrender was rejected I suppose it's finally our time to show the ninja why they should not be so proud," the Superior said. He could see his men were winning, he could see the ninja were unable to combat the giant hydra shielded by the mighty Susanoo. He was unaware of Deidara being an ally, but the effects of his aid were showing blatantly. They watched for what felt so short but in actuality took a few hours. The Imperial watched his father more than he did the battle, he was afraid of what the man would say. As it stood he realized he knew the man too well. He was going to cancel the proposal.

"We cannot withdraw our statement, Orochimaru and Kakashi are only aiding us for so long as we are fighting for peace," Satoru said hoping the other would understand the fact that it was no simple loophole.

"They do not know we are not going to bring our soldiers back to order. Let them slaughter all the ninja, we will spare our two and allow them to live with us. After all there will be no one left," the Superior had not grasped the complexity of the matter. The Imperial bit his lip in frustration, he wanted to call his men to a halt.

He could if he wished it, they listened to him more than they did to the man they never looked in the eyes. Nya herself loved to bring it up, a rebellion, an uprise. But that was not something he wanted, he wanted to obey his father. He simply wished the man had more sense to assess such situations rather than riding off his own self confidence.

"Lord Superior, with all respect. I think the two ninja will side against us if we do not call our men to a standstill," Satoru said. "The shinobi army is no longer offensive but is merely acting out defensively. If we stop so will they. Then we can work on the agreement of peace as planned."

Disappointed eyes were thrown down at the younger man, they then changed to insulted ones as he seemed to snub his sons existence for a few brief seconds.

"My order is my order," the Superior said. "See to it that the ninja are eradicated. They are dangerous, they rejected our offer of peace. I'm not doing this because it was my first choice, but them ignoring the offer was a show of character. I'm sorry Satoru, do not feel bad. They are too wild too tame and so we must get rid of them."

"As you wish Lord Superior," Satoru said his eyes averting from the other man.

"Imperial sir?" The voice buzzed beside the man as he lifted his speaker to his mouth.

"Lieutenant," Satoru said with an edge of unsureness. "Lead the fight on."

"I'm sorry sir?" She didn't believe the words.

"Our soldiers will not turn around until they are all dead," Satoru issued the next sentence with more command, silence echoed in the speaker until finally an angered voice shook back.

"Understood sir."

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The ninja gave up their fight when it became impossible, Sasuke had attempted to bring the Sannin and copy ninja down but he was soon forced away by three allying rogues. Deidara, Kisame and Hidan could see the main threat was the Uchiha, and so they drove him out the village with bombs, water and madness. He was not subdued but he was stuck on the wrong side of the dome as he tried to get around the three powerful ninja. He was out the way for the blue shielded hydra and soon the battle had to come to a close. Golden eyes looked at the soldiers, he had a moment of hope when he thought that at the very least they may not fail. The prospect of peace could finally become a reality. He had been wrong to assume such luck would fall upon them. He felt the copy ninja shift uneasily above him and large slitted eyes looked up to see what was distressing him so.

"Kakashi," he hissed softly.

"They're not stopping," Kakashi said worriedly. "The fight should be ending, they shouldn't be advancing. They are sending out more men, more drones, they're going to kill the ninja if they do that."

"Perhaps they have no yet realized the fight no longer needs to commence," Orochimaru offered, he moved his large head across the landscape. Two large balls of fire shot in to the sky, they were not ninjas doing but the aftermath of failed bombs sent by soldiers. Two more went off, and then another three. It forced the hydra to look at the spot they emerged from.

Either one of their machines had gone haywire or someone wished to get their attention. He lowered one of his giant heads to the spot the smaller being stood, it was a single woman but she held the strength of many behind her hardened stare surrounded by burned skin.

"Nya," the snake hissed, she didn't seem nervous about his presence, but she did seem worried to part with the knowledge she evidently had.

"Our men have been told to carry out the fight until the end," she stated.

"What of the proposal?" He asked, he made sure not to show his anger, he didn't know if it would threaten her when he was in such an intimidating form.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I must get back to my squad ninja. I don't know what you will make of this information, but you are an ally, you deserve to know what we know."

The hydra appreciated the sentiment, she would have never uttered those words days ago. He lifted his giant head slightly to look at the soldiers who still targeted the ninja.

"We will defend the ninja," he hissed. "We will force your army to stop as we did them. If the ninja choose to fight once we have spared them as we did your men then we will revert back to helping the soldiers."

"It could be an endless cycle," Nya said.

"Then so be it," Orochimaru said, he had already told Kakashi of the new plan, the copy ninja sat on the hydras head tiredly. Keeping up the form was hard, controlling the lightening which seeped out to defend was no easier.

As it turned out, a never ending cycle was exactly what it played out as. The hydra and copy ninja helped the shinobi get their footing again, but once they had they went back to attacking the NW. Without the blue shielded hydra on their side the NW army was falling, when that happened the two rogues went back to defending them. It never stopped, no side ever saw what they were blindly doing. The cycle of power, a physical manifestation. Whoever was winning forgot their morality, forgot the meaning of innocent, forget the meaning of loss, and how they were only creating a higher body count. Soon it became known to both sides that the hydra was a safety net, it would kill no one and it would defend whoever was falling down. They used the two rogues mercilessly though out the battle. Kakashi and Orochimaru soon found out the hard way that defending was more tiresome and energy draining than fighting. Helping everyone was impossible and yet it was their only plan. It wasn't working.

"What are we doing?" Orochimaru panted breathlessly his serpentine head shaking off ninja as they continued to use him to get around, he wouldn't kill them but they were not looking out for his safety. The blue shield had taken damage, it had cracks and large chunks now broke off defeatedly exposing white scales which soon seeped out with red blood.

"I don't know," Kakashi said back thorough equally laboured breaths. He didn't even try to pretend he was thinking of a plan. It was hard enough trying to keep an eye out for all the shinobi and soldiers.

"We aren't their enemy anymore, but we are no ones ally," Orochimaru said angrily. They were now their own army, the wall between two heated forces. They were taking damage accordingly.

Two hydra heads circled inside one another to create a blockade for those who merely wanted to hide. He shielded them from the bombs and the jutsu that ran rampant. The copy ninja was at a loss for words, that and it was hard to both breathe and talk. He had sustained injury on top of his efforts as more than once someone had been agitated by the hydra saving their target; more blue fell from the giants face. Orochimaru screeched as the blue cracked and a plane lost control exploding in to him. He hissed in pain and threw his eyes at the source, it was a ninja who had done brought the chopper down and he knew well that it had harmed the same serpent that had saved him moments before. He could have killed the man, it was so easy to snap him up. He shook away the agony his large head drooping down slightly in exhaustion. They were using the two for all they were worth and it was killing them.

"Stay with me," Kakashi said. He was equally as tired, he took a knock when his armour cracked, it was breaking down slowly but surely given the fact that they now faced two armies. One army had never managed to dent the great combined beast, but two was doing the job. It was obvious that it was due to the blue shielded hydra not fighting back. The odds would have turned if it did. But that would bring about nothing in terms of the two ninjas goal, they wanted peace, they did not want to wipe out ninja and NW kind. The hydra pined in an animalistic manner before he saw something writhing in the buildings. He would have over looked it had he not recognized the scent.

Serpents had keen senses and he had those heightened by thousands given his size. He watched Asuma try in vain to get away from the crushing clutches of a fallen building. He looked much like Saura, wedged and injured. He was not quite in the same state, he could be freed if the building was moved. He was not crushed, he was stuck tightly, but he was not broken beneath it. He was panicked regardless. His group was with him as they tried to help him move, when they saw the NW soldiers approaching they backed away. The serpent could see what Asuma was saying, he was asking them to stay and fight, he did not want to die. He wanted to live out his days, but as it stood he was trapped and the predators had found his still fresh body. Kakashi could not see it, he could not sense the distress amid all the chaos. He had no means of knowing someone he considered a good friend was about to take his final breaths. That was if the hydra had nothing to say about it. He could turn a blind eye, he had sentenced the two of them to death. He had brought this upon Saura, the man shared a similar fate strapped painfully below heavy weights until he ran out of blood. He had killed someone the Sannin cared about, he had done if before the Sannin had even been able to realize he saw the man as a friend. He didn't have many, and he found as time went on death generally made his list that much shorter. He hissed in anger and then felt Kakashi call to him in reassurance.

But it would not be his loss if the man died. It would mean he had chosen to let the copy ninja feel the same pain he had when he saw someone he cared about die. Asuma would have killed the serpent, he didn't doubt that. They had become closer after the first war, in fact Asuma had once saved him. He didn't know how the battle the second time around had brought about such a shift, how it had somehow made them all revert back to their old selves filled with hate. For a brief moment the snake remembered living with Kakashi before the second war came about. He remembered Asuma trying his best to act casual despite the fact that truly didn't like the Sannin. But he had tried, that was something the serpent would give him. The snake knew he was not perfect by any means. He had given the man reason to hate him he supposed, although he wished it would be different he would be a hypocrite to save all the ninja except for him due to personal reasons. It was a lesson Kakashi had taught him, the copy ninja had imparted much moral wisdom. The Sannin knew how the world affected everyone, but the copy ninja knew how everyone affected the world. The men raised their guns they were sent backwards as a large head smashed down near to them, they stumbled away as for a brief moment they thought the snake had lost it and wanted to kill them. They ran and the hydra made no move to chase after them despite being large enough to simply swallow them whole.

Asuma met his large golden eye with as much fear as he had the gun, he swallowed hard to compose himself.

"You're here to kill me," he said. "It's only fair. I challenged you first."

The hydra did not reply even though he had the ability to. He didn't know what he would say so instead he spoke with actions. He used his large muzzle to prop the building up as he slowly lifted it to ensure no falling pieces would kill the Jonin. The man took a moment as he had sworn the giant mouth was coming to eat him. He scrambled out from the trap until he was far from the sites hold where he turned to look up at the hydra, they met eyes, beast and man never once using words until the serpent flicked his gaze elsewhere before issuing a warning hiss to an approaching helicopter in the distance.

"Thank you," Asuma said, but the snake was gone from earshot as he had swept his large head off the floor to engage in an air fight. He would not allow the machine to shoot at ninja from the skies. Kakashi moved on to the head next to the one he had just been resting on, he still had no idea the Sannin had even seen his friend.

"You're losing too much blood," Kakashi said as he caught his lovers attention.

"I can do nothing about that," Orochimaru said honestly. Eight large heads restlessly defended whoever needed it. If he turned back to human there would be a blood bath and no one would come out the victor. The copy ninja knew it too, but he didn't think it safe to progress as they were.

"We can't let you carry on like this," Kakashi said, he was speaking big but as it stood he too was in bad shape. Both physically and mentally the duo was drained to the brink of their lives. Orochimaru was about to reply when he was smashed in to, fighting had led to more buildings plummeting and those large structures crashed on top of the hydra. He wriggled to get them off but the glass that made the windows and walls sliced in to his unguarded flesh. The copy ninja tried to make more of his blue shield but he was losing chakara at far too great a rate. He was letting the snake down he thought panicked, he needed him to stop the world from physically damaging him, but he was not doing so when he had too little chakara to fix his guard.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi shot as he tried to make the blue grow stronger. They hydra didn't hear him, he was being swallowed by buildings and bombs, glass raked his sides and created large gashes in his once pure white scales. At times the shards even managed to tear out chunks of his flesh. He writhed as he escaped them, he could shake them off but he could not stop them from falling. The armies needed to stop fighting, they were not aiming at they hydra but in their attempts to kill one another they were doing a good job of it. The shinobi and soldiers knew well what their actions effects on the Sannin and copy ninja were, but they paid it no attention as their priority was winning the battle.

It was hopeless as one of the great heads fell down to the floor in a mighty bang, dust and rubble shifting out hurriedly in its wake. Then another head fell, they were no longer able to defend as one by one the mighty creature was brought to its knees. The hydra whimpered out in a distressed high pitched hiss. He heard the copy ninja yell to him, he heard his voice hinging on insanity as he tried to do what he could to revive the serpent. But he was only one man, and he had nothing in his power to help his lover. The words were not easy to make out when the hydras senses were blurred and a loud ringing was filling his ears. He couldn't help but feel at peace, he could not feel his injuries any longer. It was unknown to him whether that was something to be happy about or worried over. Darkness faded in as he could only see directly in front of him for the briefest of moments. He didn't know what was passing over him but he fought nothing, if it was sleep he would wake up to a world in ruin, if it were death he would let it take his mind into nonexistence or perhaps a life that never ended. Golden eyes shut as rain ran down his serpentine nose falling into a mixture of quickly dying flames and blood. He had never thought he would be subdued by death, but the world was a cruel place and he had grown tired.

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The ninja and soldiers had paused their fighting, the dying sound of the hydra echoed in their minds long after it faded from the skies. They watched as the blue guard fell away the wings beating desperately as if trying to lift the fallen beast back up. Eventually the blue separated from the hydra to form a large male like figure, the blue wings still held to his back. He held a giant sword in his hand as his armoured appearance hovered above the serpent which took shallow breaths that faded with every passing minute. Ninja watched the angel like monster drop to its knees as Kakashi did, it was his energy and the blue magnitude copied his movements exactly. The wings lowered in turmoil beside the eight headed giant. No one could see the copy ninja himself as he rested a hand on the giant snakes face. He begged and pleaded for him to wake up as the rain pounded against him in mockery. No one could see him, but they knew what he was doing as the blue Susanoo mimicked him, the sadness in its posture alone, the wilting form of the mighty looking divine soldier. He could feel tears in his eyes, he didn't cry often but he would do so now that he watched his lover die.

He was dying for something the copy ninja had taught him, he had told him to be a true shinobi, he had taught him to show mercy. He slammed a hand on the ground and yelled out, that yell of agony could be heard by some who were closer. He yelled he was sorry again and again.

"Wake up!"

 _"What do you want?" Kakashi asked._

 _"To live without war and to exist without judgement," Orochimaru said. "But ultimately to see you no longer bound by your own guilt. You can't be perfect, if you let someone down it is not to say you didn't do all you could. Do what's best at the time my love, don't let others hold you hostage by using your kind nature against you."_

But he had, he had let him down. He was not kind he thought, he was foolish. He had tried pleasing the world and he had sacrificed his lover to do so. He was a fool. Nothing more, not a great man, not a kind man and not a true shinobi. Still he pleaded with the gods to spare his lover, pleaded with the Sannin to defy the odds of death. He had done so many times, how could it be different now. The blue shuddered as he lost focus of his own ability, blue lightning struck the ground dangerously as he got lost in grief. He had no one to call, they had no one to call. The serpent was dying because he wished to save others, he had wanted to try the will of the fire nation once more. He had carried the flag of the shinobi race on his back and they had let him die. They had used him until he could be used no more. Blood poured from many injuries on the copy ninjas own form, but the pain of those wounds could not even dream to compare to the stabbing feeling of despair he felt. He yelled for the snake to get up again. He was immortal, he was unable to be killed. He could not end this way, he could not die before his time.

"Please-please don't go."

 _"It's a big step to victory," Kakashi said, he hugged the smaller ninja to him and met his stare. "But I don't want to win this war alone. You've got to promise me you'll be careful, you've got to promise me you'll make it out alive."_

 _"I promise," Orochimaru said with an amused smile. "I'm immortal. I can't die."_

The copy ninja wished it was true but he watched as death circled the hydra, as it threatened to consume the man who dared say it could not do so. Every moment of anger he had ever felt, every fight, every wasted moment with the Sannin had the copy ninja whimper in defeat. There was so much he wished he could undo, so much he wished he could redo. He had risked the others life many times for his own morals, and then he had accused the male many times and even questioned his acts, his humanity. He was more human than anyone he had ever met, so disastrously human.

 _"I don't do it for my image, I do it because it is right." Kakashi snapped back.  
"Is that so?" Orochimaru replied, "well my last few days here have been rather rough, so excuse me for being a little bit pissed that you chose to spare some kid on the streets life, which in a typical twist of fate means I must be stuck here again. To endure hell knows what for the next few months before low and behold we get given another opportunity you may very well squander again."  
"Next time you can run off on your own then. If I'm such a burden when I try to do what ninja were trained to do." Kakashi snapped again, "we weren't trained for self gain, we were trained to save lives."_

"I'm sorry- I was wrong," he could not say anything else as the old words spoken tried to finish him off. Guilt was overriding his every other emotion, he could not even notice the fact that the battle had taken a moment of silence. The hydra had been an ally to no one and yet it had been a saviour to them all. They could not help but feel something looking at its lifeless form, looking at the sight of a lover loose what made him fight the hardest, his ability to love had made him fight and now it had broken him. They could not raise their weapons, it would be the utmost of disrespect to his death. The sound of rain was the only thing that dared unsettle the tense and morbid scene. Once the bad memories had flooded the copy ninjas mind he remembered all the good ones. He now had all the things he knew he'd regret at the surface of his mind, as if that was not enough, grief gave him all the memories of the things he would miss. The serpent did not open up to anyone, he was so closed and passive. Emotionless, yet he had opened up to the copy ninja, he had put himself on the line. He did not trust but he trusted the Jonin, he did not love, but he had loved.

 _"You going in there?" Orochimaru asked, his partner followed his gesture and saw the haunted house._

 _"Why, too afraid to go in alone?" Kakashi asked, knowing full well that the odds were his lover was more brave than he could ever be. Demons and the darkest halls was where Orochimaru had once made his home. Orochimaru shoved his partner lightly with an amused smile before he faked a frightened tone._

 _"Oh but of course my love." His voice rasped, "what would I ever do with out you by my side."_

He would be alive, the copy ninja thought. That's what he would be, he would have likely found his goal of living forever. All the copy ninja ever managed to do was let the people he cared about the most die, he let them down time and time again. His hand slipped off the serpents face. The breath of the serpent was slowing and soon it was hard to tell it was breathing at all. The silence was in itself a representation of the moments lack of movement, anyone who thought themselves able to fight on withered away as they all looked around. Avoidable. That's what it was. They did not have to fight, and the two ninja had given them many times to choose that path. They had offered it until one of them took their final breaths. It was in that moment that they realized they were not different. None of them thought themselves superior, they felt like monsters, like savages. They all felt themselves on equal grounds for once in their lives, they were not different. They then realized something they wished they had realized sooner, should their differences have even mattered? They were equally as capable of harming others, of killing, of forgetting right from wrong. They were no different. They were all human. The voice shattered the air as the wings of the angelic being crumbled.

There were so many things he wanted to scream at him, he wanted to do it loudly so that even in the faraway place of whatever realm the Sannin ended up in he could hear what he had to say. "You're human-" He choked, for all the times people said he wasn't. "We'll meet again I swear it-" he said, for all the times people said he would go to hell. Then his voice dropped into a broken silence as he spoke again.

"I love you- god I love you-"

Authors note- this is the second last chapter, I hope everyone is ready for the end that has come. Thank you to those who have reviewed, I love all of them, they really help to keep me motivated. Vampiredoll666 you rock and don't you forget it! Also FMA Yaoi Addict you rock too! Thanks for all the kind words lately everyone.


	20. A place you belong

_"_ _Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition."_

The rain had finally passed as an air of sunlight warmed the ground beneath the ninjas feet, he walked inside the safety of the walls named once again after his original home. He ran a hand through his white hair as he passed the faces he knew well, those faces were not the only ones he met eyes with however. There were so many new faces now that the armies had laid down the weapons a month before. A light breeze blew past and it nipped at his skin, the sun was only just starting to shine again as he walked alone through the streets. Puddles were drying up as the residents shuffled about their business. There was still much to rebuild, a mere thirty one days not quite enough time to repair what had been done to the cities left in wars wake. People met his eyes with both respect and sadness, he had lost something due to their actions, they knew that.

However it was because they knew that, it was because of that large scale loss that the ninja and NW's did not dare raise any object that could harm anyone else. It would take true evil to look the copy ninja in the eyes and show any trace of ingratitude for the loss he had suffered. They had offered him a title greater than Kage, they were willing to allow him to lead the Kage themselves as well as the Superior who had soon after the war been replaced by Satoru. The Imperial, who now stood as their leader over throwing his father when he had decided his men would not die for what was so avoidable. Nya took the lead of the army, Satoru now the superior, Nya the Imperial. It took them a while to adjust but they wore their badges with honour, and in the notion that they would only ever fight for peace and nothing more. Kakashi had rejected the offer, he did not want to lead the nations, he hoped that they would lead themselves in to the same notion of peace. As it stood no one fought and tensions were completely gone.

There was the unmentionable sense of sadness still loosely hanging in the air but it was being replaced day by day with a sense of serenity. Deidara swooped above the copy ninja as he walked, he hadn't seen him and he nearly collided with the helicopter which was passing over the village. The blond yelled at the man, he was unaccustomed to air traffic. Kakashi watched him pass, he did not call to him, he was leaving the village, he had notified everyone that he would be doing so. They had asked him to stay but no words would ever bind him to a village again. He had bid them a farewell and packed a small bag to take with him out the gates of any set place. He carried on, he would miss a home town to call his and so he allowed himself to fall prey to a false sense of nostalgia. It was notably easier since the new Konoha did not share any features that resembled his old home. He passed many more people he knew, Hidan who had opted to stay for so long as he was not bored, Sasuke, who had also claimed he wished to leave the nation but still seemed to not have done so. He passed Kisame who stayed for so long as the other two Akatsuki members did.

Other ninja who were free also made their way back to the village, the tragedy of the war had even halted their thirst for revenge. The need for hatred had died with the Sannin. Tsunade had approached Kakashi one quiet night, she had tried to console the copy ninja but had ended up needing the consolation herself. Naruto and Sakura were desperate for their teacher to stay but they knew he would not. They let him go with heavy hearts and kind words. Kakashi reached the last place he wished to visit, he entered the graveyard and looked at the large white statue that was now a symbol of both the war and the deaths of the fighters who had passed in it. A large eight headed snake stood at the front of all the graves where the fire symbol used to reside. On its long elegant body it had the names of everyone, NW and ninja alike who had died in the war. Any missing person was added to the statue, it had gentle eyes, yet they still captured the Sannin's intensity and determination.

"Kakashi," a voice said, the man turned to see his friend. Asuma walked to his side and looked up at the mighty statue. In all its glory it did not live up to the true sight of the hydra that had fought until the end. "So you're really leaving?"

"I am," Kakashi said, he noticed the black flower the man held tightly in his grasp. He then noticed him place the flower on the spot marked by the copy ninjas lovers name. They did not bury any of the bodies as there were too many deaths and not enough room. Instead they packed the gravestones near one another with just the names carved on it.

"He was a true shinobi, not all his life but certainly in his final moments," Asuma said. Kakashi nodded, he hadn't expected to see the other man pay his partner respect. He had thought that it was quite the sudden change of heart. He appreciated the sentiment. He had not told the man he would be at the graveyard, it showed that Asuma had truly wished to pay his respects to the fallen comrade. No one disputed which side the Sannin was on, they all accepted his name as a part of their nation and city.

"It'll be weird without you here," Asuma said, he then threw an arm over the other man's shoulder and briefly hugged him. "You better come visit sometime."

Kakashi watched his retreating form as it left the now empty plot. He sighed out.

"I'm touched," a voice said softly with the hint of laughter.

"You shouldn't be here, they could see you," Kakashi said as he looked back over his shoulder.

The Sannin gracefully came out from behind the hydra statue, he looked up at it his long black hair blowing lightly in the wind.

"If I had known all it took was dying I would have done so years ago," Orochimaru joked. He then passed his eyes over the long list of names, he read his own. He had thought he would die too, but he had never been one out of options to regenerate himself. Once his mighty transformation had gone down healers had come to try their best. Both NW and ninja had attempted to resurrect him, but he had not awoken, his mighty form remained still. They had not realized that it was that action which had allowed him to regenerate. When he awoke he was alone beside Kakashi in the pouring rain, the man had refused to leave the Sannin's side even when it was blatantly clear he was not breathing, truth be told the hydra's body was dead, but he had slipped out in the form of a much smaller snake as it was all he could muster when he was drained. Once he had revealed himself to the copy ninja they had both decided that it may be best they go in to hiding, if the people thought the Sannin was dead they would never fight in his name. That was something they both wanted. Kakashi returned to village to make sure it was truly going to go according to plan, but now he was going to leave.

They were going to leave together.

"Don't you dare do that again," Kakashi said as he hugged his lover, he had been much more attached to the Sannin since the scare, he almost never left his side unless he had too. Orochimaru did not mind it, he thought it endearing. He had never thought for once in his life that so many people would mourn him. He moved down the isle of graves until he stopped at one, he pulled out a headband from his kimono sleeve and placed it on the floor by it. Kakashi read the name, it was Saura's.

"He was a ninja," Orochimaru said. "That should have been given to him before he passed."

"We'll remember him, for what he was," Kakashi acknowledged, he looked around worriedly. They knew they could not be seen. They threw their eyes back at the large statue once more taking in to account all the names that were displayed had people who would too remember them. Then they ran, they ran far from the threshold of any nation, they moved across lakes and hopped through the trees with more freedom than they had felt in a long time. The Sannin felt bad for lying, there were some people he wished he could go to and console, such as Deidara and the other rogues. But he knew that was not what he had faked his death for. There was a reason he was doing it, it was not to instil guilt for no reason, it was to preserve the promise of peace. The sun still shone down around them whenever the branches parted ways, they chased one another playfully as they raced to their chosen home.

It was still early in the morning and the sound of many excited yips filled the air when they gained on their destination. They had been smelt far before the canines had seen them. They reached the hidden entrance of their new home, or at least their temporary one. They had decided a solid home would never allow them to do what they wanted to do, and that was maintain peace between the nations for as long as they could. They would work form the shadows if it was the only way to do so, but they would achieve it. The copy ninja's summons barged out the hidden entrance as they tore out form the hall, they greeted both ninja in a hyper mess. Orochimaru threw his eyes to the door and waited for the last hound to make his way out. Slowly but surely Tsukiko hobbled towards them, still not deterred by his slowness. His tail waved in eagerness as he reached both humans side and his tongue lolled out his mouth in its usual clumsy fashion. They checked to make sure they had not been followed before they entered the secretive den. All their lives they had tried to attain something, the Sannin had wished to belong, and the copy ninja had tussled with obeying the law and doing what was right. They had found what they were looking for without meaning to.

Kakashi found that he did not have wear any one headband, but could honour them all the same. He could keep watch of all the nations and cities without conforming to the rules that would make that hope impossible. He could save the innocent, he could have a clean view of the issues. He could finally do right without the dreaded word sacrifice being attached. Orochimaru looked up at his lover as they walked deeper in to the candle lit area. At the same time, the Sannin had longed to find a place he could call home, and that would in turn not make him feel unwanted. The snake had found safety beneath the scarecrow, he had found safety in the one place the ravens could not go.

He had learned the true meaning of the word home, and although he had always thought he knew, it had finally sunk in. Home was where ever he ran too when he ran out of shelters, home was where he belonged even when he broke the rules in his curious nature. Home was wherever the copy ninja was.

Authors note: He isn't dead! Nobody panic! Haha, I just couldn't end it like that, the message of this story was finding home in places that wasn't necessarily a fixed place. It was about doing what was right and not about doing what people said was right. Hope you enjoyed the story, a huge thanks to those who kept up with it and reviewed, they really helped me get to the end! I will be publishing a new story, so keep your eyes out for it! A special thanks to Vampiredoll666 who has been a huge support from start to finish with all my stories! I really appreciate it. Thank you too all the new people who have been reviewing (FMA Yaoi Addict I'm talking to you!) I love every word that you say! I truly enjoy reading each one that pops up in my inbox!


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